(General Manager Pat Riley and Head Coach Eric Spoelstra, Miami Heat)
When breaking down the top 5 NBA teams in each conference, I made the same observation many media and fans alike have have made also. The power is shifting towards the East, or so it seems. There are more teams with losing records in the East than in the West, and the East appears to be more top heavy than an overall dominant force.
Only time will tell if that will change, but for now, that is the case. The attention on the Miami Heat this summer was headed by LeBron James, but made possible by NBA legend Pat Riley. Other General Managers made great moves over the summer, but none as big as getting franchise players LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwayne Wade in Miami.
Only time will tell if that will change, but for now, that is the case. The attention on the Miami Heat this summer was headed by LeBron James, but made possible by NBA legend Pat Riley. Other General Managers made great moves over the summer, but none as big as getting franchise players LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwayne Wade in Miami.
Executive of the Year:
Pat Riley, Miami Heat
Pat Riley is the kind of player, coach and executive that is know by all generations of basketball fans, likely for different reasons. A legend in college basketball to some, an NBA champion as a player to others and 6 time champion as part of coaching staffs throughout his 44 year professional involvement with basketball. Simply put, Pat Riley knows what he is doing and has been doing it for years. Many have questioned, Dallas Mavericks GM Mark Cuban publicly, how legal the acquisition of the 2 new Heat players was during the 2010 summer free agency.
In my opinion, nothing illegal was done, I personally believe that Pat Riley's credentials, James and Bosh being in smaller markets, James needing help and Bosh struggling to make the playoffs, could not turn down a sales pitch that had them living in beautiful Miami, a guaranteed shot at a title and the world watching their "greatness" unite with Dwayne Wade. Maybe the city of Miami should be given the award and not Riley, most GMs would have been able to make that sales pitch successfully.
In all seriousness though, the impressive part was getting them to agree to take much less money, share the ball a lot more, share the spotlight and at the same time become one of the most hated teams in sports history. Not to mention having this combined All-Star talent lead by the youngest coach in the NBA, Eric Spoelstra. The Miami Heat may not win the title this year or the one after that, but the assembly of this team in 2010 by Pat Riley makes him, in my opinion, the clear cut winner for the award.
In my opinion, nothing illegal was done, I personally believe that Pat Riley's credentials, James and Bosh being in smaller markets, James needing help and Bosh struggling to make the playoffs, could not turn down a sales pitch that had them living in beautiful Miami, a guaranteed shot at a title and the world watching their "greatness" unite with Dwayne Wade. Maybe the city of Miami should be given the award and not Riley, most GMs would have been able to make that sales pitch successfully.
In all seriousness though, the impressive part was getting them to agree to take much less money, share the ball a lot more, share the spotlight and at the same time become one of the most hated teams in sports history. Not to mention having this combined All-Star talent lead by the youngest coach in the NBA, Eric Spoelstra. The Miami Heat may not win the title this year or the one after that, but the assembly of this team in 2010 by Pat Riley makes him, in my opinion, the clear cut winner for the award.
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