Inside The Heat

LeBron James Details Pat Riley "Cookies" Story With Miami Heat

The four-time Finals MVP confirmed the story during his appearance on the Pat McAfee show.
Alex Toledo|
Miami Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley (left) and LeBron James (right) after winning the NBA championship in 2013.
Miami Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley (left) and LeBron James (right) after winning the NBA championship in 2013. | Nathaniel S. Butler / National Basketball Association / Getty

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Miami Heat

About a month ago, three-time champion Dwyane Wade revealed on a podcast that Heat president Pat Riley made sure LeBron James couldn't have the cookies he was used to having on team flights. The Heat denied this, and then former Heat guard Mario Chalmers confirmed. Today, the four-time Finals MVP confirmed the story during his appearance on the Pat McAfee show.

"It's a true story," James said. "It wasn't like Riles was on the plane and I was about to get my cookies and Riles snatched them out of my hand. You know how stories can become a little bit, they, they kind of build to Sasquatch at some point, but ... there was a time where everyone knows I (bleeping) love chocolate chip cookies. It's like my biggest vice."

"No, it was literally the plane that we were getting on, the ladies on the plane were making chocolate chip cookies." ... "Yeah, so they were making them and bringing them because we had the same ladies all the time, you know, it was a party of six, you know, they were rotating every time, they knew I love chocolate chip cookies." ... "And I would get on, and they already knew. They'd bring me two cookies, and I'd get to gambling with the guys, and I got my cookies, and we good. And then one flight I got on, I looked at them and they looked at me and I'm like, 'Oh that look didn't look familiar.' And I asked, I was like, 'Do we got the cookies?', he was like, 'No, we're not allowed to, no more cookies on these flights." ... "And we all know where it came from. I looked at D-Wade, D-Wade looked at me. He was like, basically, without even saying it, he was like, '(bleeping) Riles has done it again. Riles strikes again.' I was like, 'Damn."

James had more to say about Riley, this time about his approach with the Heat and their stars, and how it relates to Cookie-Gate.

“One thing about Riles, he don't give a (expletive) about nothing. Listen, if it ain't about that Heat shield and covering that Heat culture, he don't, I mean, we see what's going on now, I mean, well, not anymore, but we see Jimmy and, you know, and it was at one point where even I left and it was time for D-Wade to get paid, and he didn't want to pay D-Wade, and D-Wade left." ... "When Wade County had to leave and go to Chicago, I looked at the cookie situation. I was like, oh, (expletive), maybe it wasn't that bad. I was like, okay, yeah, I was like, okay, (bleep) it. I mean, yeah, D-Wade's millions and my cookies, I was like, okay, maybe I made it all the same. I was like, okay, it wasn't that bad.”

Former Miami Heat Guard Gives More Details To LeBron James "Cookies" Story

Mario Chalmers was an integral piece of the Miami Heat's championship years in 2012 and 2013.

Alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat were one of the strongest teams in basketball over a four-season stretch behind the Big Three. Chalmers was the starting point guard, averaging near 10 points a game along with four assists.

In February, Wade appeared on Lou Williams' podcast Changing the Game, where he suggested Pat Riley played a role in James' departure in 2014.

Chalmers recently made an appearance on Dwight Howard's podcast Above the Rim. He shared many of the same sentiments as Wade regarding the end of James' tenure as a member of the Miami Heat, including how Heat staff took James' cookies away from him.

"The whole plane was looking at Bron, like, ‘Wait… is he really mad about cookies right now?' And he was," Chalmers described.

"He was hot. And I get it, though—he had a routine. Every flight, he had two bowls of chocolate chip cookies. Like, eight in each bowl. Then he’d go to the back of the plane, get two scoops of ice cream, and tear that joint up. So, when they took the cookies? Man… he was pissed. Like, really pissed. And that’s when we all kind of looked at each other like, ‘Oh… this might be it. He’s gone after this season.’ I swear, I don’t ever wanna see that man mad like that again. You better get out of his way if he ain’t got his cookies. And here’s the kicker… we were on a 27-game winning streak. That’s why this is even crazier. We’re on the longest win streak in the league, and you really just removed this man’s cookies?"

Chalmers elaborated on the idea James and the team were micro-managed by Heat president Pat Riley. Even though the team had success, the front office stepped in and managed dietary restrictions.

The Big Three era concluded after the 2013-14 season. James left the organization to return home to Cleveland, where he won a title in 2016. Wade left the Heat after 13 seasons in 2016 to join the Chicago Bulls. Bosh had trouble staying on the court due to medical concerns, which unfortunately ended his career.

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Alex Toledo
ALEX TOLEDO

Alex, who was born in Miami, is also a producer, co-host and reporter for the Five on the Floor podcast. He has covered the Heat and NBA since 2019 as a season credential holder. He studied journalism at Florida International University.