“Asterisk is Next to the Heat’s Name”- Miami Heat’s Pat Riley Clarifies Controversial Remarks Following Public Outcry

Miami Heat President Pat Riley recently made some controversial comments about the 2020 NBA Finals. He stated that the Lakers championship will always have an asterisk in front of it. As expected, Riley received a lot of heat from Lakers’ fans for his comments.

Riley subsequently released a statement saying his comments were misinterpreted. NBA reporter Tim Reynolds tweeted about what Riley really meant in his interview with the Miami Herald.

‘The asterisk is next to the Heat’s name, not the Lakers. Their title is legitimate. Our loss has an asterisk (next) to it. The Lakers were the better team. Period.” said the Heat’s President.

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With Riley clearing the air, the controversies that have mushroomed all over the place should hopefully mellow down. Riley’s men fought valiantly in the NBA Finals, and they deserve credit for their efforts.

But at the end of the day, the Lakers were a notch above the Miami Heat.

Many believe that even if the Heat were at their 100%, the purple and gold would have come out on top. It’s hard to see any other outcome when the Lakers have superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

During the entire series, the Heat had no answer for the duo as they scored at will. As of now, the Heat will be focused on seeking redemption from this defeat. But do they have the talents to achieve this next year?

Will the Miami Heat redeem themselves in 2021?

No one can take away what the Heat achieved this season. They were perceived as the underdogs during the 2020 postseason. This led to Eastern Conference teams underestimating them, and they paid the ultimate price for the same.

On the other hand, the Lakers never made that mistake and played at an elite level right from the get-go. If Danny Green and Markieff Marcus didn’t commit a blunder at the end of Game 5, the series could have been wrapped up right here.

However, that’s all in the past. The Heat have definitely proved that they are serious contenders for the NBA title. But next year, they could face another terrific duo in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the Playoffs before clinching the East.

The duo will be hungry to win it all after missing the entire 2019-20 season. Miami’s chances will suffer because of them, but if they bring out their A-game behind superstar Jimmy Butler, they could very well emerge triumphant.

Next season could go down as one of the most legendary seasons in NBA history, with the league being well-balanced after a long time. Who are your favorites to win it all come 2021?