Pat Riley recruited LeBron James by dumping bag of championship rings on table

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley celebrates with small forward LeBron James (6) and other players after winning the 2012 NBA championship against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

When the Miami Heat were in the process of recruiting LeBron James and Chris Bosh, they pulled out all the typical stops front offices use when luring a free agent – dinner, trips, etc.

But unlike most teams, Miami Heat president Pat Riley had a special tactic he used to recruit both players to South Beach – his nine NBA championship rings.

Seemingly his go-to-move, Riley presented his stash of championship rings to both James and Bosh, sealing the deal en route to bringing both to Miami.

"Bosh knows firsthand just how persuasive Riley can be when he gets you in a room with a major decision to make. Like James, Bosh still hasn’t forgotten the impact of Riley’s personal touch.And it’s usually then when Riley executes his go-to move.He pulls out one of the nine championship rings he has won as a player, executive, head coach and assistant coach.And he proposes.Riley dropped a bag full of title rings on LeBron’s table in Cleveland during their 2010 meeting. He has flashed at least one of them to a few other free-agent targets over the years."

Seems to be a pretty effective recruiting tool. Of course, now James and Bosh have their own rings, so mission accomplished.