It was difficult to know if Pat Riley was telling the truth or not.
But there he sat Thursday, behind the microphone and in front of the print, radio and TV media in the family room at AmericanAirlines Arena for his official preseason press conference.
And the subject shifted to his deepest thoughts on those anxious nights after the July 1 start of free agency. Riley was specifically asked about his mindset the night he sat in his Chicago hotel room - hours after his visit with LeBron James in Cleveland and before he checked in again with Dwyane Wade.
At the time, Riley had heard reports that LeBron's camp had requested follow-up information from the New York Knicks. There were also rumors that James would be having dinner with close friend and Nets co-owner Jay Z and wife, Beyonce.
This was after the Heat had done its full-court press on James, complete with messages from Riley, owner Micky Arison, son Nick Arison, coach Erik Spoelstra, legend Alonzo Mourning and salary-cap guru Andy Elisburg. Riley talked Thursday about how empty of a feeling everyone had in their stomachs that moment.
LeBron, it appeared, had other plans. Dwyane, in reality, was headed into a second meeting with the Bulls, the team he grew up rooting for as a son of the Windy City.
The feelings Riley had at that moment would seem perfect for a made-for-TV drama. Instead, it might end up in the latest book he authors.
"I am going to write another book. I am," Riley said. "It's called 'No Plan B.' And when you have no Plan B during those moments, all of a sudden, your stomach starts to churn a little bit more and your mind begins to think in a different manner. But from July 1 until we got those guys to sign the contracts, I was waiting for some trap door and land mine to explode. But it didn't. Yeah, it was a lot of anxiety. I don't think there was any in-between."
Of course, we know how this drama plays out. At a moment when Riley was starting to fear losing everything he's built with this franchise, he came through with the jackpot.
As the following week played out, Chris Bosh told Dwyane Wade he wanted to come to Miami. Wade told Bosh he was willing to stay. And then the two closed the deal and convinced LeBron to follow his gut and take his "talents to South Beach." That's their stories, and they're sticking to it.
It sure beats the alternative for Riley, who otherwise would have been stuck with a boat-load of cap space to store in one of Arison's cruise ships. There would have been a massive rebuilding job neither Arison nor Riley would have really had the patience to endure at this stage of the game.
It's a good thing that book, 'When All Else Fails,' never had to be written by Riley. Instead, he gets to write a happy ending to his summer journey. Of course, it would only be a best seller if the Heat adds a championship epilogue.
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/WallaceNBAHeat. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)
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