NBA: Will Pat Riley, LeBron James, and the Rest of the Empire Strike Back?

Charles Barkley famously stated, "No one cares about the Miami Heat." And as much as we all wish that were true, it's not.  

Pat Riley transformed the Heat into the Evil Empire of the NBA, and this year it was the Mavericks who played the role of the Jedi.  

We all jumped to criticize LeBron's televised "Decision" and scoffed at the preseason celebration, concluded by a bold prediction by James: seven championships. But when Jason Terry jumps the gun and tattoos the Larry O'Brien trophy on his bicep, it's not that big of a deal.

America was quick to hop on the Dallas bandwagon at the start of the Finals, and no one (save Mark Cuban) was happier to see the Mavericks win than Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.  

Animosity was shouted from every corner of every visiting arena the Heat stepped into.  Every regular season road game had a playoff-like atmosphere with Miami's Big Three wielding red lightsabers. Every Heat turnover reinforced the hate, and every highlight reel play frustrated a jealous crowd.

Most of this hate can be pinned on LeBron James, who has portrayed himself as a villain to the public (mostly in Cleveland).  It didn't help that the Heat players constantly complained about the media being too critical and the country being against them.

I didn't think it was possible for a team to have more pressure on them day in and day out as much as Miami did this season, but it pales in comparison to the heat, if you will, they'll face this upcoming season, whenever it is.

So the first big question is: will the empire strike back?  Since LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are all in their prime, it would  seem that they have time on their side to get back to the finals and win.  But as the NBA is transitioning to superstar-heavy teams (Westbrook and Durant/Anthony and Stoudemire/Rose and Boozer) how wide is the crack in the door, really?

By losing to the Mavericks, the Heat have added enormous pressure on themselves to win this season, where the target on their backs will be even bigger, the criticism of each misstep even greater, and the rise of the second big question: if they don't win this year, will they ever?  

The pressure will continue to mount with every championship-less season that goes by, and it will eventually grow to be too tall for Wade or even LeBron to leap.  

Yes, historically, players have had to go through heartbreak before they get their first ring, and yes, Dwyane Wade already has his ring, but Dwyane Wade showed up in both Finals he was a part of; LeBron didn't.

And it's really more about LeBron than it about Wade or Bosh.  It's about LeBron getting the hardware to even begin to rival Jordan or Kobe.  Whether he likes it or not, "The King" may not only hold his own legacy in his hands this season, but that of his entire team.