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Heat’s Riley fined $25,000 for remarks about a LeBron return

NBA says he was too clear he’d welcome a reunion

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2020, file photo, Miami Heat president Pat Riley watches during the first half of the team's preseason NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Miami. After 12 consecutive months of work, Riley is telling players and staff to take some downtime to refresh and recharge before the offseason gets hectic again. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) (Wilfredo Lee, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

NEW YORK – Miami Heat President Pat Riley was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Wednesday for being too clear that he’d eagerly welcome a reunion with LeBron James.

The league said Riley violated its anti-tampering rule with his remarks during an interview Friday on Dan Le Batard's radio show.

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Riley said he would “leave the key under the doormat” if James called and said he wanted to return to Miami. James led the Heat to two NBA titles and four straight appearances in the finals before returning to Cleveland in 2014.

Riley is the second executive to be fined in three days for tampering. The NBA penalized Philadelphia's Daryl Morey and the team $75,000 apiece on Monday for a tweet about Stephen Curry.

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