NBA history has taught folks that it often requires more than merely talent to win a championship at the highest level. Countless teams over the years have beaten more talented squads in the playoffs because they had greater chemistry or combined to be more than the sum of their parts.
The 2005-06 iteration of the Miami Heat stands out as a great example of what a tight-knit group can accomplish even if it’s not loaded with talent. The Heat won their first title in franchise history in 2006, and the leader of that team, legendary guard Dwyane Wade, said franchise legend Pat Riley forced the members of that squad to get to know one another on a personal level.
Dwyane Wade shares a 2006 story about Pat Riley forcing the team to build real connections and accountability:
“He sat us all down in Chicago and started asking questions about each other. None of us could pass the quiz. We didn’t know families, kids, what someone likes in the… pic.twitter.com/yZDTfqhe8h
— Heat Diehards (@HeatDiehards) December 19, 2025
Riley — Miami’s longtime team president — was the head coach of the Heat for an overwhelming majority of their championship season. Stan Van Gundy started out the 2005-06 season as the Heat’s leader from the sidelines, but he resigned in December of 2005 after they got out to a mediocre 11-10 start, and Riley succeeded him.
The Heat boasted a roster full of veteran players who were out of their primes and were led by a relatively unproven Wade, yet they still achieved basketball immortality, even if they were tested at times throughout their title run.
For example, Miami was knotted up at two games apiece with the Chicago Bulls in the opening round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs. The Heat won the series in six after taking the final two games, but there was a time when they were seemingly in real danger of taking a first-round exit.
The Heat faced their biggest test in the NBA Finals in the form of the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas was in control early on in the series and took a commanding 2-0 lead, but Miami then responded by rattling off four straight wins to secure its title.
Nearly two decades removed from coaching the Heat to their first-ever title, Riley is still serving as Miami’s team president, and the team has shown some flashes of potential this season. With a record of 15-12, the Heat own the East’s No. 7 seed so far in the 2025-26 campaign.