The NBA recently fined Pat Riley $25,000 for breaking the tampering rules by saying that he would 'leave a key under the doormat' in the case LeBron James would want to come back to the Miami Heat:
"I would leave the key under the doormat if he would call me and let me know that he's coming," Riley said. "I would do that, but I doubt very much that key ... that key is rusted now.
"LeBron, look, he's one of the greatest of all time, and for four years down here, if we want to go back and remember what those four years were like, it was four years in the Finals, four years of excitement, two world championships ... It was the best time for the Heat. So I wish him nothing but the best, and if he ever wanted to come back, I'll put a new shiny key under the mat," he concluded.
Riley and LeBron didn't end in the best of terms but it's clear that he's willing to bury the hatchet if that means winning another NBA Championship.
That's why former Heat greats Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh weren't exactly surprised by Riley's comments. They said that the Miami Heat are all about winning rings and that he's going to do whatever it takes and be aggressive to accomplish that goal.
A LeBron James comeback seems quite unlikely right now. He seems pretty comfortable in Los Angeles and is fresh off winning an NBA Championship, so it's not like he needs some new teammates or has anything left to prove.
The Miami Heat have a solid foundation and are just a couple of pieces away from becoming a legit Championship threat again, so maybe Riley should try and focus his energies - and his money - somewhere else.
More must-reads: