Pat Riley

Lore & Background

Riley played for the Lakers from 1970 to 1975 and was a reserve on the 1972 NBA championship team. He returned to the Lakers as a broadcaster in 1977, became an assistant coach in 1979, and was named head coach in 1981. He led the Lakers to NBA titles in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Riley trademarked the phrase 'three-peat' during his tenure. He left the Lakers after the 1990 season.

In Their Own Story

The air in the Forum was thick with anticipation, the roar of the crowd vibrating through the hardwood. Riley stood on the sideline, his suit jacket unbuttoned, eyes scanning the court with a predator's focus. He didn't need to shout; his presence commanded silence from the bench and fire from the players. With a subtle nod toward Magic Johnson, he signaled the start of another fast break that would become legend.

Reader's Guide

Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year three times: 1990 (with the Lakers), 1993 (with the New York Knicks), and 1997 (with the Miami Heat). He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times, eight times with the Western Conference team (1982, 1983, 1985–1990) as head coach of the Lakers. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2008.

Did You Know?

• Riley won five NBA championships as a head coach: four with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.
• He is the first American sports figure to win a championship as a player, assistant coach, head coach, and executive.
• Riley played against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in high school before later coaching him with the Lakers.
• He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as a wide receiver in the 1967 NFL draft, despite not playing college football.