That Pat Riley’s first trip back to the NBA Finals since LeBron James left the Miami Heat back in 2014 would come against LeBron, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers franchise with whom he won four championships, seems like something written in a basketball version of ‘The Godfather.’ I can already hear the opening title song by Nino Rota playing in my head as of writing this.
Riley is known colloquially as ‘The Godfather’ of the NBA. James famously has built his own Familia, a not-so-subtle nod to his favorite movie, which, as NBA Finals lore has it, was one he watched as he mounted the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history in 2016. But James and agent Rich Paul made a choice not to be a part of the Heat family, instead choosing to chart their own path. While the stories provide drama and even more intrigue than your typical NBA Finals, LeBron James is doing his best to downplay the revenge narrative on both sides, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“It’s no extra meaning to winning a championship, no matter who you’re playing against,” James said Tuesday at NBA Finals media day. “It’s already hard enough to even reach the Finals, to be in this position. If you’re able to become victorious out of the Finals, it doesn’t matter who it’s against.”
This season is already one unlike any other in NBA history. With it being longer than ever, the tragedy of Kobe Bryant, and it needing a special biosphere to even get finished, it’s true that would be enough for LeBron, in addition to getting the 4th ring and helping the Lakers return to glory. But while revenge over Riley might not be part of the meal, it surely would be a nice digestif. A glass of Fernet for LeBron, perhaps?
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