LeBron James’ Heat era is far back in our rearview mirror at this point, but it’s something Miami would certainly love to revisit.

Pat Riley said so himself on Tuesday. James didn’t part with the team on the best of terms in 2015 when he left to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, but Riley doesn’t care.

The Heat team president said he’d “leave a key under the doormat” for LeBron James if he wanted to come back to Miami at any point.

In an interview on the Dan Le Batard show, Riley said he’d welcome James back with open arms. He also said the door is probably closed on that as a possibility at this point.

“I would leave the key under the doormat if he would call me and let me know that he’s coming. I would do that, but I doubt very much that key…That key is rusted now.”

He also said he looks back fondly on James’ time there.

“LeBron, look, he’s one of the greatest of all time, and for four years down here, if we want to go back and remember what those four years were like, it was four years in the Finals, four years of excitement, two world championships. It was the best time for the Heat. So I wish him nothing but the best, and if he ever wanted to come back, I’ll put a new shiny key under the mat.”

Of course, he also knew there’d be a tampering fine that would come from the NBA with these comments. And there was. The NBA fined Riley $25,000 on Wednesday for actively recruiting LeBron James.

NBA announces it has fined Miami Heat President Pat Riley $25,000 for violating the league’s anti-tampering rule in a radio interview regarding the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 9, 2021

Imagine being rich enough to just eat a $25,000 fine. This is Pat Riley, friends.

Let’s be honest. This is never going to happen. If that were to ever crack the door back open, though? It’d be worth every penny. Regardless, it was still a pretty cool move.

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