When LeBron James walked away from the Miami Heat back in 2014, there wasn’t as much bad blood — at least not at the same jersey-burning level that escalated when he turned his back on the Cleveland Cavaliers four years earlier.
As it turns out, however, Heat president Pat Riley wasn’t at all pleased by LeBron’s departure. So much so, that he demanded that the players cut ties with their former teammate.
Miami Heat Icon Udonis Haslem Sheds Light on LeBron James’ South Beach Exit
![Miami Heat: Pat Riley Demanded Players End Friendship With LeBron James After He Left, Per Udonis Haslem 1 Miami Heat, LeBron James, NBA Finals](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_5839662_168400517_lowres.jpg)
Speaking on a recent episode of The OG Show, Haslem chopped it up with former teammate Norris Cole. According to the pair, the atmosphere quickly turned intense the moment LeBron took his talents away from South Beach.
Cole added that Riley admitted that he took James’ departure personally. The high-ranking executive may have taken out his frustration on his players:
“(Speaking as Riley) Get yall sh*t together, King ain’t here no more,” Haslem said. “… That’s basically what he said in a nutshell. (as Riley) ‘Hey listen, I’ll start this sh*t over.’
“He didn’t want us to be friends with Bron, none of that sh*t.”
Haslem said, though, that after all that he’d been through with LeBron over the past four years, there was just no way he was going to hate on his buddy.
“Won two championships with the man, I can’t hate him,” Haslem said. “You can’t do that.”
UD and Norris Cole on what Pat Riley told them the season after Lebron left
“Get yall sh*t together, King ain’t here no more. Everybody can go. I’ll start this all over”
“He didn’t want us to be friends with Bron, none of that sh*t”
🎥 @theOGsShow 😳😭 pic.twitter.com/UBmT8txbx8
— Emo Jimmy (@WheelerJaylen) April 3, 2024
![Miami Heat: Pat Riley Demanded Players End Friendship With LeBron James After He Left, Per Udonis Haslem 2 USATSI 14042032 168400517 lowres](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_14042032_168400517_lowres.jpg)
Haslem went on to acknowledge, however, that James’ sudden exit left a “dark cloud” over the entire team for a while.
As it turns out, not even the great Pat Riley is immune from the so-called LeBron effect.
![Miami Heat: Pat Riley Demanded Players End Friendship With LeBron James After He Left, Per Udonis Haslem 3 Miami Heat, LeBron James, NBA Finals](https://www.hardwoodheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_5845664_168400517_lowres.jpg)
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