There’s been rumors surfacing about the time LeBron James left the Miami Heat to go back to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, a former teammate claims that Pat Riley was upset with James’ decision.
During a guest appearance on Tidal League, former Heat point guard, Norris Cole, opens up about what transpired in Miami after LeBron James left. According to him, Pat Riley wasn’t too happy with how it all played out.
“Pat [Riley] took that personal. He was upset when [LeBron James] left… It wasn’t a good feeling when he left, but now your roles change on the team… We still had the same expectation.”
Neither James nor Riley have addressed these comments. So, as of now, this is purely speculation. Regardless, it’s still interesting to hear Norris Cole talk about LeBron James‘ decision to leave Miami. The entire Heat team had to change their ways while maintaining the same championship expectations.
But hey, business is business. At the time, LeBron James felt it was necessary to go back to Cleveland. Even if it did rub Pat Riley the wrong way, James went back to his hometown and eventually won a championship there. So, it’s not like James made a bad decision.
As for the Heat, they’ve maintained competitiveness over the years. Although Miami hasn’t won a championship since James’ departure, the team has made a couple of NBA Finals appearances with Jimmy Butler leading the way. So, maybe Miami can surprise the sports world and eventually win one without LeBron James.
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