MIAMI — If the Miami Heat are going for a “three-peat,’’ does that mean they will have to pay Pat Riley royalties?
Well, the Heat president, who trademarked the term 25 years ago, would love to see his team win three consecutive titles. But he’s not counting on making any extra bucks off it.
“I’m not using this as a platform to become a brand and to make money off it other than what (Heat owner) Micky (Arison) pays me,’’ Riley said Wednesday.
When he was coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and they had won a second consecutive title in 1988, Riley’s corporate entity, Riles & Co., went to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to register “three-peat.’’ Even though his Lakers failed to claim a third crown in a row the next season, Riley has benefited from the Chicago Bulls winning three in a row from 1991-93 and from 1996-98 and the Lakers doing it from 2000-02.
Riley’s trademark has been expanded to apply to other sports. For instance, he reaped benefits when the New York Yankees won three consecutive World Series from 1998-2000.
Riley gets a portion of the proceeds when “three-peat’’ is used on apparel and for other marketing purposes, including when the term is on mugs, plates, posters and bumper stickers. Plenty of such stuff was sold when some of the most popular teams in sports history went back to back to back over the past two decades.
“We have over the years made a considerable amount of money off that trademark and most of it, a good portion of it, always goes to charity,’’ said Riley, who has won nine NBA championship rings as a player, assistant coach, head coach and executive but never three in a row. “It goes to foundations and stuff. But I do have a partner in it.’’
As to whether the Heat will use the slogan in marketing next season, Riley said it hasn’t been discussed. He said the decision won’t be his.
“I’m not sure the Heat want to use that as a trademark whether I have the rights to it or not,’’ Riley said. “We haven’t talked about it, and it’s a marketing decision on the team next year, on how they want to proceed with that. But I also think it might be a little bit presumptuous to put it out there, so I haven’t really given it any thought. I think we just sort of leave it alone.’’
In June 1988, Riley’s Lakers won a second consecutive title by defeating Detroit in seven games. The talk started then about winning a three in a row.
“There are a lot of factors that went into it after we had won (a second straight title),’’ the Hall of Fame coach said. “As a matter of fact, (Lakers guard) Byron Scott in the locker room was talking about (it). He called it ‘twee-peat.’ T-W-E-E-P-E-A-T. He was like, ‘We’re going to twee-peat.’ You know how the players are. They got their own dictionary of words. So we all learned them along the way. What did you just say? So (Scott) was talking about twee-peating. So we were having dinner, Chris (Riley’s wife) and I with a friend of ours a couple of days later, and the word ‘three-peat’ came up.’’
Riles & Co. successfully first registered the term in November 1988. Additions and revisions have been made over the years, and the trademark numbers on it now are 1552980, 1878690 and 1886018.
The Lakers came up short in their bid for a third consecutive title when they were swept in the 1989 Finals by the Pistons. But 25 years later Riley will have another chance to get a "three-peat'' of his very own.
For now, there’s no word on whether anybody is trying to capitalize on "Heat-peat.’’
Chris Tomasson can be reached at christomasson@hotmail.com or on Twitter @christomasson
