He has bought the Heat a new life the way Joe Robbie once did for the Dolphins. Micky Arison has none of Robbie's ego, his demeanor, his feistiness. He has no money constraints like Robbie did. He never squabbles publicly or demands the spotlight like him, either.

But Arison took a page from Robbie's playbook anyhow. You can see that now. And if you look closely enough, you also see all the same strategy and sense of purpose in Pat Riley coming to the Heat now as when Don Shula came to the Dolphins 25 years ago.

There was the same ownership share dangled as bait. Same tampering charges in frustration from the jilted team. Same league-backed resolution of a first-round draft pick going to those teams, too, as if that matches what the Baltimore Colts or New York Knicks lost.

Our teams don't hire legends. They steal them.

"They bought themselves into contention," was Raiders owner Al Davis' comment upon hearing the Dolphins' grab of Shula in 1970.

Now it's Arison's turn. He bought the Heat new hope, new credibility, new life. Say what you will about Riley's preening and heavy-ego demands: A floundering franchise now has a future.

On Friday, the Heat gave up $1 million and a conditional first-round pick to the Knicks for the rights to negotiate with Riley. This is just enough for the Knicks to save face in this morning's headlines but nothing more.

Arison has plenty more where that $1 million came from. And, as for the draft pick, the best it could be is No. 6 overall. Knock yourself out, New York.

Knicks President David Checketts naturally tried to talk his way into a victory over this settlement.

"The old statement that a manager can't hit the curveball is very real, and even though I'm attracted to big name and successful coaches, it would be very difficult to give up a draft pick for a coach," Checketts said.

Here are No. 6 picks of the 1990s: Bryant Reeves. Sharone Wright. Calbert Chaney. Tom Gugliotta. Doug Smith. Felton Spencer.

Want the five previous years?

Stacey King. Hersey Hawkins. Kenny Smith. William Bedford. Joe Kleine. Mel Turpin.

Guys who sweep the sawdust after the performance.

Another thing: The draft will become less meaningful if the proposed collective bargaining agreement is passed by players. It allows more free-agent movement.

So next year the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Kenny Anderson should be up for grabs at a time the Heat can dump contracts to Kevin Willis ($3.5 million), Rex Chapman ($2 million) and, finally, Alec Kessler ($1.6 million).

With Riley, don't you like the Heat's shot at these players much better?

So the question of whether Riley is worth a draft pick isn't really a question at all. The only point to debate is if Riley _ if anyone, for that matter _ is worth the five-year contract worth a reported $35 million that Arison is laying out.

To which I say: Sure he's worth that. It's not my money.

It is Arison's money and Arison's troubled franchise. There was only one way to return legitimacy overnight from the fans' view and Arison did it. He bought Riley.

Now Arison will return to his courtside seat and quietly enjoy the games. His good work is done. And the show is just beginning.

One more thing. With the draft pick the Colts received for losing Shula, they took Don McCauley, a running back from North Carolina. He had a nice career. He caught 333 career passes. He had two career 100-yard rushing games. He played 10 years.

He wasn't worth Shula.

Dave Hyde's column appears four days a week.

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