"Pat Riley tryna secure one last bag" - NBA fans react to Miami Heat memorabilia heist funding massive black market operation

NBA: Orlando Magic at Miami Heat - Source: Imagn
NBA fans react to Miami Heat memorabilia heist funding massive black market operation - Source: Imagn

The Miami Heat has become the victim of one of the biggest black market heists in sports history, as millions worth of the team’s memorabilia have reportedly been stolen, according to The New York Post. The stolen goods include game-worn NBA Finals jerseys, which were then sold on the black market.

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The operation, which happened over 18 months ago, was described by NBA analyst Amin Elhassan as “one of the largest heists of this kind” on The Dan Le Batard Show before emphasizing the value of the total memorabilia stolen in the operation.

“Authenticated memorabilia stolen from the Miami Heat, and sold for many, many, many, many, many millions of dollars,” he said.
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The reported heist caught the attention of many NBA fans, who then made their own assumptions about what happened. Some even pointed out that it could be an inside job.

"Pat Riley tryna secure one last bag," one fan said.
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Meanwhile, others got curious about what happened to the stolen memorabilia.

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Miami Heat's president Pat Riley has been known for the franchise's well-known culture, which has brought them three NBA championships — 2006, 2012 and 2013. Among the biggest stars that the team saw in their history were Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Jimmy Butler.

Butler & Co. got to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023, albeit in losses. It was their first Finals appearance since 2014, when James was still a member of the squad. The Heat reached the playoffs last season, after surviving the play-in tournament, before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.

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Heist could alarm many in the collectors’ community

According to Amin Elhassan, the heist raised red flags in the basketball memorabilia and collectors community, as no collector could ever accumulate such memorabilia from a team.

"Game worn [NBA] Finals stuff, and this person was taking them and selling them both within the regular market and within the black market," he said. "What red flagged within the memorabilia committee is you never see people with this much stuff, right? You might get a game worn jersey, but to get, like, a game worn, full set, NBA Finals for multiple players?"

However, no legal implications have been identified to date. The Heat has also yet to address the situation.

Miami Heat Nation! You can check out the latest Miami Heat Schedule and dive into the Heat Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Krutik Jain
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