MIAMI, FL - JUNE 20: President of the Miami Heat Pat Riley celebrates with LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat and his good luck Nike sneaker eyelet after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Seven of the 2013 NBA Finals on June 20, 2013 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE

Riley: Heat could've been '5 or 6 championship team' if LeBron stayed

1 year ago
Nathaniel S. Butler / National Basketball Association / Getty

Miami Heat president Pat Riley believes the team would've won several more NBA titles had the "Big Three" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh stayed together longer.

"It didn't upset me, but it hurt me that we couldn't keep that team together. Because I think it was a five or six championship team," Riley said on "The OGs" podcast with Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. "I really do, if we could've kept them all together and stayed healthy from that standpoint. But the nature of the game is what it is."

The Heat made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances during the "Big Three" era, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013.

James spent four seasons in Miami before leaving in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he began his NBA career. He went on to win his third championship in Cleveland in 2016, followed by a fourth title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

Wade parted ways with the Heat after the 2015-16 season, while Bosh was waived by the team in 2017.

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