contract wrote:I'm not his biggest fan anymore, but Pat Riley made the Heat matter. Pat Riley put us on the map and made people down here care about basketball.
CP3 is an all time great and hasn't been able to win ****. John Stockton and Karl Malone were both all time greats and weren't able to win **** despite playing together. Simply being an all time great doesn't guarantee championships. Wade may have hit big shots and recruited some guys, but he didn't build the winning culture that allowed that to happen. That was Pat and it started before Wade got here.
Watching the draft they were talking about teams who don't have an established culture. Some of these teams have not sniffed a Con. Finals let alone NBA Finals in the last decade. You look @ teams such as Houston, Washington, Orlando, Portland etc. They have no real identity as a team & as individual players.
When Pat came in he set the foundation for the Culture many speak about today. The Disease Of Me, his school of thought, his motivational prowess, his old school, hard nosed approach. Riley's philosophical beliefs are immersed within this organization. The strict expectations/regiment, accountability, which he mentioned in his press conference stating it's something that is not prominent today. We still follow his blueprint & values in our Heat Code not just for players but permeates throughout the entire organization..
Wade got to eat because Riley set the table. Lebron the coward got to take the monkey off his back because the foundations were well laid & established by the time he wore a Heat jerz. We were able to survive what could have been disastrous nxt decade post-Ledouche frm Pat's decision making which sets him apart from the rest. Miami promotes breaking away from Herd-Mentality & reason why we do things differently. One of the main components why we have a world class organization filled with integrity & principalities.
Wade then was able to promoted Miami culture to Butler, whom as we know focus on discipline, hard work and accountability- everything Riley already built here. Spo, who chose learning over money, is a Pat Riley apprentice who continued his school of thought, you know...defense, family, competitiveness & nastiness. What Riley built, last seasons iteration of our roster represented in front of the world as an 8th seed making the NBA Finals. That's all Riley sh*t!
While most here wanted to trade & rid of everybody, including Spo & Riles, instead enjoyed a remarkable run made possible by the foundations, values, philosophies laid by Riley. He built this house you all sh*t on when you're displeased but happy to ride when things are going well. Yes no one is exempt from criticism but Riley has done far more good than bad for this organization. & like i said....if we win another Championship it will, again, be a direct result of the culture Riley built here & the decisions he's made, some of which are the same decisions you're scoffing at today.