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#pounditThursday, March 28, 2024

Pat Riley expresses remorse over Dwyane Wade departure: ‘I have great regret’

Pat Riley Heat

The departure of franchise icon Dwyane Wade this summer was probably the biggest black eye in the history of the Miami Heat. Even team president Pat Riley is willing to admit that much.

In his first public comments since Wade’s decision to leave for the Chicago Bulls, Riley held a press conference on Saturday in which he took responsibility for Wade’s exit and expressed regret and shock that everything played out the way that it did, per Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post.

If you recall, Riley reportedly did not even speak with Wade during the contract negotiation process. Though Wade would insist afterwards that he had no ill will towards Riley for his handling of the situation, it’s clear that feelings were hurt and a lot of respect was lost. It’s especially so considering that Wade wound up taking a deal with the Bulls that was worth only marginally more money than what the Heat were offering after accounting for state income tax.

The decision to not do more to keep Wade may ultimately turn out to be the right call from a pure basketball standpoint. But Riley understands that the whole debacle has done irreparable damage to the Heat’s romanticized image as a tight-knit family organization, so it’s good to see him accept the blame for a truly sorry moment in the history of the franchise.

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