MIAMI, (Reuters) – The star-studded Miami Heat can comfortably handle being the most hated team in America and might even exceed their lofty expectations, club president Pat Riley said Thursday.
Miami landed All-Stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh during free agency and re-signed their franchise player Dwyane Wade to create a new ‘Super team’ but Riley’s coup has turned the Heat into the team so many want to see trip up this season.
The former championship-winning coach told reporters he had no doubt that his top trio could handle their new status.
“All these guys are hardened veterans, Chris has been through it, he has been the guy who had the weight on his shoulders in Toronto, Dwyane has been through it here, LeBron has been through it,” he told a news conference.
“All of these players at one time in their in their careers, where they feel like they have to do something, they have had the weight on their shoulders.
“They are hardened, they are steeled, I don’t believe that there are many more things that can be thrown at them that are going to create any kind of false approach on their part.”
They could have made more money by signing individual deals elsewhere but choose lower salaries for the higher chance of winning together and that shows their motivation, said Riley.
“They proved that they want to win by taking less money, they proved they want to win by having to give up the ball more and by coming to play together.
“The story that should be written is that here are three guys, who simply, for whatever reason, wanted to join forces here in Miami, to play together, to try to win championships.
“Anyone who would go against that in any way, shape or form, try to criticize that because of what they did – it is almost nonsensical.
“I think they will be able to take anything that is thrown at them, I really do,” he said.
Riley said he was puzzled as to why so many rivals and pundits have been critical of the signings.
“We planned, we sacrificed, we took some risks..I don’t know where it is all coming from and I quite frankly don’t care because we did something that we feel was special for our franchise and our city.
“We had dreamt about it, we had talked about it, we had planned, everybody knew that there was a possibility (of doing it) but I don’t think that anyone believed, including myself, that this could happen,” he said.
Riley suggested that winding up his players might lead to even better displays from James, Bosh and Wade.
“Everyone out there is just trying to doing something now to raise the ante but the more you raise the ante, especially with these guys, they might do something even more special.
“Sometimes silence is better than a lot of words from the outside.”
The Heat open their training camp, to be held at a military base in northwestern Florida, next week.
