The role is different this time for Pat Riley.
Unlike during the Heat's championship run through the 2006 NBA Finals, Riley now serves solely as team president instead of coach and president.
That, guard Dwyane Wade said Tuesday, changes the tenor of the conversation.
"You could be laying down in the training room and doing something somewhere and he just shows up and you start talking about basketball, and he gives you his take, what he's seen," Wade said as he prepared for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. "As players, we like that better than when you get called upstairs."
Riley's office is one level above the main court at AmericanAirlines Arena, the same office he utilized as coach. The difference now is he is more measured mentor that maniacal motivator.
"When he comes around, you don't know when he's coming, he just shows up," Wade said. "And he says certain things at different times. I've had discussions with him, and it's not anything that's planned."
While Riley has shied from the media this season, he remains ubiquitous to his players.
"Coach Riley is very inspirational," Wade said. "He's the kind of guy, he's in the background, but he's around often. He talks, you listen, because of his knowledge of the game and also he's a leader.
"He's a leader, of this organization, as well. And we respect him. I think he's done a great job of putting together a pretty good team and coming in at the right times. When he feels the need to express himself to us, he has done it."
While some of the messages can grow redundant, especially for a player such as Wade, who also endured the lean years under Riley's coaching in the wake of that 2006 championship, for LeBron James, this is all new, and refreshing.
"Knowing the players that he's coached and just to hear some of the stories about Magic, Kareem and those guys that he had in L.A., and get an opportunity to talk about their leadership, as well, on the court, it's great," James said of Riley's reflections on his coaching tenure of the championship Showtime Lakers.
"It's great to hear those stories instead of just watching the playback on TV, to actually hear the day-to-day stories of those great Hall of Famers."
Like Wade, James said he views Riley as a resource.
"Having him around is amazing, to be able to go and talk to someone, if need be," James said. "And it's not always just about basketball, it's about anything. So we're blessed to have him around, this organization is blessed to have him, period."
Split priorities for Miller
Reserve swingman Mike Miller found himself on the move Tuesday, first attending shootaround, then a doctor's visit for his newborn daughter, then back to the arena for Game 1. Miller's daughter was born two weeks ago with a heart defect. "Part of life, part of business," he said of his day. He offered thanks to well-wishers, adding, "Anybody's who's had a newborn knows you don't have rest." . . .
Wade, on his earliest memory of 38-year-old Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd, "I think I was watching him in black and white. It seems so long ago." . . .
Bosh, on whether he ever practices awkward shots like those from Mavericks counterpart Dirk Nowitzki, "No. While I'm still athletic, I'm going to ride the wheels until they fall off and then maybe when I'm 30-something, I'll probably change my game. But for now, I just have a little bit more athleticism left and I'll use it while I can." . . .
Coach Erik Spoelstra, on his sleeping habits, and the nocturnal habits of most coaches this time of year, "I think everyone has a pad and paper next to their bed. There might be something wrong with us in the coaching profession."
