The year was 2014 and the Miami Heat had just come off of four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, two titles, and most immediately, a gutwrenching NBA Finals defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. Not only did they lose that series to San Antonio, but they were demolished to a tune of 4-1.
While there was sure to be a revenge tour planned, starting on the sunny shores of South Beach, LeBron James had other plans. As the story goes, LeBron didn’t even give Pat Riley, and essentially the Miami Heat, the time of day.