NBA LeBron James and Mario Chalmers
NBA (DR) / The OGs (DR)

Some managers don’t joke with their players, especially those who have just arrived in the NBA.

Double champion alongside LeBron James, Mario Chalmers shared a funny anecdote about his boss at the Heat, a certain Pat Riley.

If we know him today as a great president of the Miami side, Pat Riley was already a legend of the league long before taking on this role.

Coach of the Lakers in the Magic Johnson era, he won five championship titles there before making Pat Ewing’s Knicks one of the most incredible defensive squads of all time.

Suffice it to say that the guy had built quite a reputation in the NBA.

Then becoming a leader, he applied the same methods as when he officiated from the bench.

This notably implied an iron discipline instilled in the Heat players, under penalty of being quickly traded.

Leader of the team at the time of the Big Three formed by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers had the right to some pretty scary treatment as he explained on Run It Back :

Pat Riley, the most “mafia” of NBA executives

Mario Chalmers says Pat Riley had someone watch him when he was at the bar during his rookie year. “You can’t do anything in this town without me knowing,” he allegedly told her.

When you hear the boss of the South Beach franchise speak like this, you’d swear you’re hearing a gang leader with total control over the city…

Riley is not the type to let himself be walked on, even going so far as to fire LeBron from his office on one occasion.

As for the others, it is in their interest to follow his instructions because the man is truly all-powerful on the spot. Enough to amaze Internet users.

Pat Riley is a mob boss, he’s got eyes all over town

Pat Riley is the closest thing to a mob boss in today’s NBA

Pat Riley doesn’t tolerate any nonsense from his players and he makes sure they don’t overtake the brones. In the case of Mario Chalmers, he didn’t hesitate to have him watched when he went for a drink… while making it clear to the leader that he would never escape from him. We imagine that the latter must have freaked out…