Why Pat Riley Riley Would Profit If Kansas City Chiefs Win Super Bowl

Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA;  Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during the Pat Riley Court dedication ceremony at halftime at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley addresses the crowd during the Pat Riley Court dedication ceremony at halftime at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Miami Heat fans have lately been critical of team owner Pat Riley because of his business decisions.

But Riley made perhaps one of the best moves of his career when he filed for the trademark of the phrase "three-peat" entering the 1988-89 season. At the time, the Lakers were chasing a third straight NBA title but were denied by Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons.

Even though they lost that season, Riley has still cashed in when teams such as the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and the Los Angeles Lakers of the early 2000s won three straight titles. On Wednesday, ESPN revealed Riley owns at least "six patents" for the trademark.

It's a topic of discussion because quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are in contention for winning a third straight Super Bowl in the NFL. It has never been accomplished, so the "three-peat" reference will be thrown around plenty if the Chiefs defeat the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend.

While Riley is stuck in the controversy regarding star Jimmy Butler's contract situation with the Heat, he at least has his trademark leading to a victory. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and Riley have been at odds with Butler since the end of last season.

It reached a boil in late December when Butler publicly requested a trade. It has since led to Butler being suspended three times for conduct detrimental to the team.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here