Pat Riley

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year three times (1989–90, 1992–93 and 1996–97, as head coach of the Lakers, New York Knicks and Heat, respectively). He was head coach of an NBA All-Star Game team nine times: eight times with the Western Conference team (1982, 1983, 1985–1990, all as head coach of the Lakers) and once with the Eastern team (1993, as head coach of the Knicks).

In Their Own Story

The source details Riley's history of intense leadership, which he carried from the Lakers to New York. In Los Angeles, his mantra was 'no rebounds, no rings,' reinforcing the need to fight for boards to win championships. He employed innovative defenses like the 1-3-1 half-court trap and valued physical play over finesse, a philosophy he transferred to the Knicks. This intensity defined his approach when he took over the New York franchise.

Reader's Guide

Riley played college basketball for four seasons for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was selected by the San Diego Rockets as the seventh overall pick of the 1967 NBA draft. He played for the Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns, retiring in 1976. He returned to the NBA in 1977 as a broadcaster for the Lakers, then became an assistant coach in 1979 and head coach of the Lakers later that season. He led the Lakers to four NBA championships as head coach. He later coached the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, winning a fifth championship with the Heat in 2006.

Did You Know?

• Riley is a nine-time NBA champion across his tenures as a player (1972), assistant coach (1980), head coach (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006), and executive (2012, 2013).
• He is the first American sports figure to win a championship as a player, as an assistant coach, as a head coach, and as an executive.
• Riley trademarked the phrase 'three-peat' through his corporate entity, Riles & Co.