Pat Riley: LeBron's departure 'most shocking' part of Heat tenure

Having spent more than two decades with the Miami Heat, team president Pat Riley is more than familiar with the history of the franchise.

While there have been a number of significant moments since Riley joined the team in 1995, the Heat president says that nothing has been more surprising than LeBron James' sudden departure in 2014.

"Since I came here, we've had the same owner, same president, two coaches, same support staff," Riley told The Vertical's Harvey Araton. "We've got a bunch of guys working for us who played for us. Players come and go, great players. When LeBron left, that was the most shocking thing to me - not to say he was right or wrong - and the most shocking thing to the franchise."

James was nothing but spectacular during his four years in South Beach, capturing two MVPs, two Finals MVPs, four All-Star appearances, and two championships with the Heat.

Although losing James was a massive blow to the franchise, Riley believes the Heat have been successful in maintaining their identity without him.

"Our culture is the same," Riley said. "You have your up years and your down years, but what can't change is the way you do things."

While Miami has seen more wins than losses since James rejoined the Cleveland Cavaliers, it has yet to come close to recapturing its success, reaching the postseason just once since 2014.