"It was a 5 or 6 championship team" - Pat Riley reveals being 'hurt' over LeBron James breaking up Heat's Big 3

Miami Heat executive Pat Riley didn't like that the organization couldn't keep the Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh together. Riley discussed it in a clip from "The OGs Show" on Tuesday, a podcast hosted by former Heat players Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem.

Miami had an outstanding group with their Big 3 during the 2010s. The franchise was a constant in the Eastern Conference Finals for four seasons and won two NBA titles. However, the squad didn't last after four seasons as James opted to leave the team and return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

According to Riley, he wanted to keep the core intact. However, they were forced to carry on without James once he left. On the podcast, the Heat team president talked about his thoughts on how the Big 3 ended.

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"It didn't upset me, but it hurt that we couldn't keep that team together, because I think it was a 5 or 6 championship team," Riley said. "If we could have kept them all together and stay healthy from that standpoint. But the nature of the game is what it is."

Even though James left, he gave the team two more championships.

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What happened to the Heat after LeBron James left?

The Big 3's era ended following their 2014 NBA Finals loss against the San Antonio Spurs. LeBron James opted out of a contract extension, leaving the Heat franchise to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

With the Cavs, James led the team to four straight Finals appearances, similar to what he did with the Heat. His second time with Cleveland, meanwhile, wasn't as successful as his Miami experience. In his four Finals appearances, the Ohio-based franchise won once, in 2016.

Meanwhile, Wade stayed with the Heat until the 2015-16 season. In the summer of 2016, the star signed a two-year, $47 million contract and joined the Chicago Bulls. However, his time in his hometown didn't last as he and the Bulls reached a buyout agreement in the summer of 2017.

Wade ended up rejoining his old teammate James by signing with the Cavaliers. Unfortunately, the shooting guard was moved to the Heat in the middle of the season, thus their reunion was short-lived.

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Lastly, Bosh remained with the Heat for the remainder of his career. Following the final season with James, the big man had two more seasons when he was an All-Star. However, he missed the 2016-17 season due to blood clots.

Because of his health issues, he was forced to retire in February 2019 after multiple attempts at a comeback.

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