Heat’s Pat Riley is 100% honest about LeBron James’ much-maligned guarantee

All in all, LeBron James’ four-year stint with the Miami Heat was a complete success. But there’s a sense that James didn’t accomplish as much as he could have with the Heat, although that may have something to do with the high expectations he set for the team. As you may recall, James declared at the Heat welcome party that they will win “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven” championships, although it has to be said that he will was obviously a joke.

While such a bold statement earned James the ridicule of many for failing to win a championship in his first season with the Heat, team president Pat Riley recognized the confidence James must have had to make such an announcement. In fact, Riley revealed on The OGs podcast that he did something similar when he was head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Showtime era.

“I didn’t mind at all (James’ explanation). We had a full house. The fans are going crazy. I mean, things like that don’t happen that often in the NBA. I don’t mind if people say we’re going to win,” Riley said. “You know, in 1987 we beat the (Boston) Celtics. … And I remember after four championships at the parade, I said to the media, ‘I guarantee we’ll win it again next year.’ And I meant it.”

“The reason I said that is because I wanted to put more pressure on this team than they have ever put on them before. If you think you’re as great as you are, you can win two titles in a row. You have to do it.”