Why LeBron James and the Miami Heat? Simple, Pat Riley

The one question I hear asked more than any other in the days leading up to "The Decision", is why Miami? Why not Chicago? How can he resist New York? How could he abandon his home town? Jay-Z and the Russian juggernaut didn't impress him? Why not the Clippers? OK I think we know that answer right? Hours away from doing something many, actually everyone deemed impossible, Pat Riley is about to write the most significant and most defining chapter in his life. I have always been a fan of Riley ever since I can remember watching basketball. I fell in love with the Lakers led my Magic, Kareem, Worthy, Byron,etc. As I grew older I became an even bigger fan of the man that directed those fine musicians.

I recall players such as AC Green saying that every off season Pat would give the players a report card and a specific area they had to improve in. He is obsessive compulsive when it comes to details such as work ethic, organization, attitude. The Lakers organization is the mold when it comes to a winning franchise from the very top to the bottom. Jerry Buss, Jerry West, and even Rupp at Kentucky have all had an obvious impact on the genius that is Pat Riley. He took a New York Knick franchise, that was basically a rolled up cheeseburger wrapper discarded in a trash can near the "Mecca" that is Madison Square Garden, and made them relevant once again. To the point where they were a John Starks shooting slump from an NBA title.

In 1996 he leaves New York and comes to Miami because New York management would not allow him to do what Micky Arison has done for his entire tenure with the Heat, allow him to do his job! For his entire involvement in this position as President and coach, both physically and mentally, he is entitled to request a small stake in ownership of the franchise. They would not give it to him in New York, they did not hesitate to give it to him in Miami. The Arison family is not wealthy and successful because they are near sighted and allow their ego to cloud their judgement, they knew Riley was the best at his craft. In a New York minute, Pat Riley traded the heart and soul of the Heat franchise for a cornerstone center in Alonzo Mourning. Glen Rice was only upset that he could not come back and be a part of this franchise, despite the fact he was traded by that same front office. That team made the conference finals and lost to his "Airness", the real king and no shame in losing to Michael. He was an Alonzo kidney illness from having a championship team several years later.

When he put the 2006 team together and saw the team coming apart at the seams he took off one hat and put another on. The criticism of replacing Van Gundy is another story for another day, I for one was all for it regardless of the outcome. Every writer and pundit said he could not win it all for every reason imaginable: They were too old, nonathletic, had no chemistry, fat Shaq, I even heard he made a huge mistake in bringing Zo back because it would ruin team chemistry, how did that turn out? Now he has the vision of doing the most remarkable thing ever done in the NBA 2 years ago, against popular demand because it required seeing the Heat fall to the bottom once again. For every Mo Williams, Antwan Jamison, Jamario Moon, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, that Riley did not sign or trade for he was ripped further apart than an old pair of jeans! You are going to lose Wade if this continues. Well guess what, Wade at some point bought into Pat and his master plan.

So when you have the hometown argument and why he should stay for all of the right reasons. Joakim Noah, Rose, Deng, and now Boozer they have a better nucleus right and are more readily equipped to win now than the Heat? They sure are. The Knicks just signed Stoudemire and are the biggest and most significant city in the world right? Absolutely! The Nets have Jay-Z, the godfather of the entertainment industry and Lebron's buddy, he should be able to nudge him enough into this Brooklyn stomping of the Knicks wave right? No doubt! The Clippers are in the Staples, ok that's enough on that front. All that being said, why is he choosing Miami they only have 3 players and 2 on the way out faster than the Clippers management left their presentation to Lebron in Cleveland. There are a number of situations that make more sense for a number of reasons, from existing rosters, to not having a current start that he may have to share the limelight with, to a home-cooked meal.

There is one reason WHY he is choosing Miami, albeit with a Wade here and a Bosh there, and the answer is Pat Riley. The same reason one of the richest men in the world signs checks now, and asks questions, well never to be honest with you never. Some in the media, such as Jackie McMullan are catching on now and pointing the finger to the Heat front office as the significant factor in "The Decision". Michael Wilbon had a great take on this and started to make sense as to why Miami is not such a bad choice. To summarize, why Miami? If all things were equal: Wade was here, Bosh was coming here, no other pieces in place, South Beach, the team mascot was on a ledge, they had the most cap room for 5 max guys, anything else that we can add to this? However, Pat Riley was nowhere to be seen in this process from the beginning, not only would Wade not re-sign, Bosh not have cut his hair, and Lebron not come to South Beach, but even the Clippers would stand a better chance than Miami. Well, maybe that might be a stretch. By the way does this surprise anyone when it has been almost Lebron's lifetime since Pat Riley left New York, and to this day the media and fans still hold a grudge against Pat. The fact that sentiment still exists speaks volumes about what that organization lost and what continues to haunt them in the worst of ways. Anyone miss or still hate Dave Checketts these days in The Big Apple? It's no surprise people in Miami despise Nick Saban about, sometimes there seem to be more people rooting against Alabama then there are rooting for the Hurricanes. They care about Checketts in NY, about as much as the people in this town care for Dave Wannstedt. As Will Smith says, "Welcome to Miami, Bienvenido a Miami Lebron!"