“He was told by Pat Riley, ‘You’re gonna be my guy’” - Brian Windhorst says LeBron James passive-aggressively pushed for Erik Spoelstra’s firing, says Spo completely asserted control

LeBron James had an incredible run with the Miami Heat between 2010-14. But behind all the success they had, there was some turmoil that they had to overcome as a collective group.

LeBron James was part of the Heat squad that won back-to-back championships. James was the catalyst behind it all after he announced on an ESPN special that 'he was taking his talents to South Beach'.

This move by LeBron was revolutionary and encouraged future stars in the league to create their own legacy.

The 18-time All-Star has amassed a reputation for pulling strings from behind. It became obvious when he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers to form a big three with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. They were coached by David Blatt during their first year together and reached the Finals, but ultimately lost to the Golden State Warriors.

After just one year with the Cavs, Blatt was fired and everyone had the same thought - James got Blatt fired.

This isn't the first time that James has attempted this kind of stunt. According to NBA Insider Brian Windhorst, the two-time Olympic gold medalist tried to do the same thing before his return to the Cavs. Although his stretch with the Heat is always remembered as legendary, he had the usual experience of conflict against the head coach, Erik Spoelstra.

"When the Heat goes to 9-8 (record) and LeBron bumps Spoelstra. Within a couple of days, Chris Broussard writes the story that says, 'LeBron would like Riley to replace Spoelstra'". Windhorst said.

"Subsequently, we've heard the stories that LeBron didn't exactly go and say, 'fire Spoelstra.' But LeBron was passively-aggressively pushing in that direction."

"I remember being really surprised, and that was because he was told by Pat Riley, 'You're gonna be my guy.'" Windhorst recalls his encounter with the Heat head coach after one practice.

LeBron James might be the first player in history to have his jersey numbers retired by different franchises

Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics - Game Seven

Several questions can be asked regarding LeBron James' legacy with the teams that he's played for. Not because of how he left those organizations, but because of the impact he made during his time with them.

Out of all the teams that have the potential to raise LeBron James' jersey number to the rafters, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the obvious pick to be the first. He was drafted by the Cavs back in 2003 and spent his first seven seasons carrying a subpar squad. Although he left the Cavs on a bad note back in 2010, he did return to give the city a title in 2016.

Next up is the Heat. They have a case to be the first team to retire his number. Despite only spending four seasons in South Beach, he won his first and second championships with the team. It would be understandable if they beat the Cavs to raise LeBron's jersey number first.

Lastly, we have the Los Angeles Lakers. His run with the Lakers is quite interesting. He's experienced everything with the team. The 18-time All-NBA won the title, missed the playoffs and broke records all while playing for the Purple and Gold. Retiring LeBron James' jersey number up in the rafters could take a while, but it'll definitely happen.