During his Lakers statue dedication ceremony, Riley admitted that bringing together James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh created what he thought would be another championship-contending team for nearly a decade. "I saw something that could've lasted eight to 10 years," Riley said.
The Heat did win back-to-back titles and made four consecutive Finals appearances before James returned to Cleveland in 2014. Riley acknowledged the business of the NBA but wished James had stayed longer in Miami.