Heat’s Pat Riley Understands LeBron James’ Much-Maligned Guarantee 100%

All things considered, LeBron James’ four-season stint with the Miami Heat was a great success. But there’s a sense that James didn’t achieve as much with the Heat as he could have, though that may have something to do with the high expectations he placed on the team. As you might 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 must be said that he was clearly joking .

While James continued to draw scorn from many for not winning a championship in his first season with the Heat after making such a bold statement, team president Pat Riley acknowledged the confidence James must have had to make such a proclamation. In fact, Riley revealed it on The OG’s podcast he did something similar back when he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers during the Showtime era.

“I didn’t mind (James’ statement) at all. We had a packed house. Fans are going crazy. I mean, those things don’t happen very often in the NBA. I don’t mind people saying that we gotta win,” Riley said. “You know, in 1987 we beat the (Boston) Celtics. … And after four championships, I remember saying to the media at the parade, ‘I guarantee that next year we’ll win it again.’ And I meant it.”

“The reason I said that is because I wanted to put more pressure on that team than they’ve ever had on them. If you think you’re as good as you are, you can win back-to- back titles. You have to do it.”