Superstars like LBJ want the diva treatment, according to the legendary head coach.
LeBron James’ departure from South Beach was a shock to some. Even though they lost in the 2014 NBA Finals, many analysts believed they still had a chance to make a run for the title, as the Miami Heat needed just a few tweaks.
However, there were more significant problems off the court. In particular, tension was brewing between James and Heat executive Pat Riley. Ultimately, the two parties had no choice but to part ways.
Is LeBron a diva?
Legendary head coach Phil Jackson acknowledged that losing James hurt the Heat big time. Phil knows that Bron was head and shoulders above the most important player on that squad, which is saying a lot, considering the team also had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
It seems that the four-time MVP’s departure could have been avoided. According to “The Zen Master,” a specific road game sparked the rift between James and Riley.
“When LeBron was playing with the Heat, they went to Cleveland, and he wanted to spend the night. They don’t do overnights. Teams just don’t,” Jackson said in 2016, per ESPN. “So now (coach Erik) Spoelstra has to text Riley and say, ‘What do I do in this situation?’ And Pat, who has iron-fist rules, answers, ‘You are on the plane; you are with this team.’You can’t hold up the whole team because you and your mom and your posse want to spend an extra night in Cleveland.”
“I always thought Pat had this really nice vibe with his guys,” Jackson added. “But something happened there where it broke down. I do know LeBron likes special treatment. He needs things his way.”
Riley’s masterplan
Was that the incident that sparked the wick that burned the bridge between Pat and LeBron? We can never be certain. What we are sure of is that LBJ’s departure spoiled “The Godfather’s” master plan of winning multiple titles. However, simultaneously, Riley understood why the “Kid From Akron” had to return home.
“I had two to three days of tremendous anger. I was absolutely livid, which I expressed to myself and my closest friends,” he said.
“My beautiful plan all of a sudden came crashing down,” Riley added. “That team, in ten years, could have won five or six championships. But I get it. I get the whole chronicle of [LeBron’s] life.
In the end, the all-time leading scorer did get his way. LeBron carved out a special place in history when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship, and almost 10 years since that epic win, James is still writing his story the only way he knows how.