Pat Riley
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Patrick James "Pat" Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American National Basketball Association (NBA) coach, executive and former player. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time. He has been the head coach of five championship teams, an assistant coach to another, and played for one, bringing his total to seven championships overall. Of all NBA coaches, Riley has collected the second largest number of wins, behind Lenny Wilkens. Riley is the only coach to have twice taken over midway and subsequently lead the team to the championship that season.
Riley is currently the head coach of the 2005-2006 NBA Champion Miami Heat.
Biography
Riley was born in Rome, New York, and raised in Schenectady. Physical trademarks include his slicked-back hair and his immaculate tan.Playing career
Riley played for Linton High School in Schenectady, NY under coach Walt Pryzblo. He was a versatile athlete in college, participating in both basketball and football. He led the 1966 University of Kentucky basketball team, coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp, to the NCAA title game, where they lost to Texas Western (now known as UTEP). He was selected by the San Diego Rockets in the 1st round of the 1967 NBA Draft, and was also drafted as a flanker by the Dallas Cowboys in the 11th round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He joined the Rockets and later signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, helping them win the 1972 NBA Finals. After a relatively undistinguished playing career, he retired in 1976 as a member of the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns.Coaching career
Los Angeles Lakers
Riley returned to the NBA in 1977 as a broadcaster for the Lakers, and then became one of the team's assistant coaches during the 1979-80 season. He became head coach during the 1981-82 season, and led the Lakers to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances. His first title came in his first season, against the Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams returned to the Finals the next year, but Riley's Lakers were swept by the 76ers. The Lakers lost in the Finals again in 1984, to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The Lakers earned Riley his second NBA title as a coach in 1985 in a rematch of the previous year, as the Lakers beat the Celtics in six games. The Lakers' 4-year Western Conference streak was broken the following year by the Houston Rockets.Riley redeemed himself in 1987, with a Lakers team that is considered one of the greatest teams of all-time. With future Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, plus important role players such as Michael Cooper, Byron Scott, A.C. Green, Mychal Thompson, and Kurt Rambis, the Lakers finished 65-17 in the regular season, third-best in team history. They met with similar success in the playoffs, dispatching the Celtics in six games to win Riley his third NBA title.
One of Riley's most famous moments came when he promised the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers' championship parade in downtown Los Angeles. While the 1988 Lakers did not produce as many wins in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers, they still managed to win an NBA title, becoming the first team in 20 years to repeat as champions. The Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons in seven games in the 1988 NBA Finals, making good on Riley's promise.
Although Riley would offer no further guarantees, his Lakers embarked upon a quest to obtain a third consecutive championship in 1989. Having successfully claimed a repeat championship the year before, the term coined for this new goal was a "three-peat" championship, and indeed Riley, through his corporate entity, Riles & Co., actually trademarked the phrase "three-peat". But ultimately, the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals.
Riley stepped down as coach of the Lakers after they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the 1990 NBA playoffs, amid rumors of player mistreatment and anger problems on his part. In spite of these rumors and his resignation, he was named NBA Coach of the Year for the first time.
New York Knicks
After stepping down as coach, Riley accepted a job as a television commentator for NBC. However, this job only lasted one year, as he became head coach of the New York Knicks in 1991. In 1993, he led the Knicks to the best regular season record in team history and received his second Coach of the Year award. Commentators especially admired Riley's ability to work with the physical, deliberate Knicks, considering that he was associated with the fast-paced Lakers in the 1980s. Riley returned to the NBA Finals in 1994, but his Knicks lost in seven games to the Houston Rockets after being up 3-2 in the series.In 1995, Riley resigned, and became head coach and general manager of the Miami Heat. The move caused some controversy which was settled after the Heat sent their first round pick (1996 #19-Walter McCarty) and $1 million in cash to the Knicks on September 1, 1995. Riley's coaching of the Heat to playoff contention would later make them bitter rivals with his former team.
Miami Heat
In 1995-1996, Miami was swept in the first round by Phil Jackson-coached Chicago Bulls, who were led by a rejuvenated Michael Jordan.In 1997, the Heat defeated his old team, the Knicks, in a physical seven game series. Advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, they proved no match for Jordan and his Bulls. Riley was selected as Coach of the Year for the third time, after leading Miami to a 61-21 regular season record, 1st in the Atlantic division.
The Heat would compile consecutive seasons over 0.600. However, the 1998, 1999, and 2000 playoffs would be disappointments as they lost to the arch-rival Knicks; the first two in the opening round and the latter in the second round.
After finishing a respectable 50-32 in 2001, the Heat lost two of their best players when guard Tim Hardaway was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Mason signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. In part because of these departures, the Heat finished a disappointing 36-46 in 2002. Riley was so disgusted with the Heat's performance that he declared he was about to "fire himself."
Before the beginning of the 2003-2004 season, he did step down as Heat coach, to fully dedicate his attention to his duties as general manager. Longtime assistant Stan Van Gundy and rookie Dwyane Wade, whom Riley drafted 5th overall, led the Heat back into the playoffs with a 42-40 record after starting 0-9. Riley concentrated on improving the team even further before the 2004-2005 season. One of his biggest moves as full-time general manager was to trade Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom and a first-round draft pick to the Lakers for superstar Shaquille O'Neal. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals during the 2005 playoffs, although they lost to the Detroit Pistons after being up 3-2 in the series.
Riley resumed coaching the Heat on December 12, 2005, replacing Stan Van Gundy after the Heat started the season with a disappointing 11-10 record. Van Gundy had resigned in order to "spend more time with [his] family." Although Van Gundy maintained that his decision to resign was his own, there has been speculation that he was pushed out by Riley.#redirect
The move came as a shock to the basketball community, with some speculating that with Shaquille O'Neal returning from injury, Dwyane Wade having his best season yet, and a high-caliber roster including Gary Payton, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker, Riley wanted to try to regain his former glory by coaching Miami to its first NBA Championship. Riley's Heat team defeated his Los Angeles Lakers-days nemesis, the Detroit Pistons, in the 2006 Eastern Conference playoffs on June 2, 2006, making it the first time the Miami Heat reached the NBA Finals.
Miami then defeated the Dallas Mavericks (4-2) after losing the first two games of the series to win their first NBA Championship in franchise history. He accepted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. He was so confident in his team, being up in the series 3-2 with the last two games in Dallas, that in a press conference prior to the game, he told reporters: "I packed one suit, one shirt and one tie. That's it!" During the deciding game, Riley wore his 1985 NBA championship ring, which the Lakers had clinched in game six at the Boston Garden without having to go to a game seven.[link] The Miami Heat's 2006 championship is the defining moment of Pat Riley's career so far, after promising Miami a championship over a decade ago when he became the general manager of the Miami Heat. He has said that he'd give up all of his rings if we could get one, and Riley's message was clear, and they did win. [link].22 June 2006. ["NBA - Miami Heat/Dallas Mavericks Recap Tuesday June 20, 2006 - Yahoo! Sports"]. 21 June 2006. Accessed 21 June 2006.
The Heat held a huge parade on Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami on June 23 as envisioned by Pat Riley years ago. Riley, being in a celebratory mood, danced on stage when called upon by his players. Over 250,000 jubilant Miami Heat fans attended the parade.
Outside of basketball
Outside of basketball, Riley has developed into a pop-culture figure. This is born out of Riley's signature look, a slicked-back hairstyle, which is often described as gangster-looking. He came to the public eye leading the "Showtime" Lakers of the 1980s, furthering his image by "guaranteeing" a championship. It should also be noted that Riley has coached in three American cities well known for popular nightlife and celebrity culture. Riley is also known for his friendship with Giorgio Armani, preferring to wear Armani suits during basketball games, and even modeling once at an Armani show.Riley's suave nature and lifestyle has set him apart from other head coaches in the NBA. During his first stint with the Heat, Riley slipped on his yacht and suffered a cut on his forehead that required stitches.
Riley is also a motivational speaker during the off-season. Riley earns in excess of $50,000 for each speaking engagement.
Riley and his wife Chris, have two children, James and Elisabeth Riley.
University of Kentucky college basketball stats (as a player)
| Season | Games Played | Minutes | FG | FGA | % | FT | FTA | % | Total Rebs | Asst. | F | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964-65 | 25 | 825 | 160 | 370 | 43.2 | 55 | 89 | 61.8 | 212 | 27 | 98 | 375 |
| 1965-66 | 29 | 1078 | 265 | 514 | 51.6 | 107 | 153 | 69.9 | 259 | 64 | 106 | 637 |
| 1966-67 | 26 | 953 | 165 | 373 | 44.2 | 122 | 156 | 78.2 | 201 | 68 | 90 | 452 |
| Total | 80 | 2856 | 590 | 1257 | 46.9 | 284 | 398 | 71.4 | 672 | 159 | 294 | 1464 |
NBA statistics as a player
| Regular Season Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Age | Team | G | Min | Pts | PPG | FGM | FGA | FGP | FTM | FTA | FTP | 3PM | 3PA | 3PP | REB | RPG | AST | APG | STL | BLK | TO | ||
| 1967-68 | 22 | San Diego Rockets | 80 | 1263 | 628 | 7.9 | 250 | 660 | .379 | 128 | 202 | .634 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 177 | 2.2 | 138 | 1.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1968-69 | 23 | San Diego Rockets | 56 | 1027 | 494 | 8.8 | 202 | 498 | .406 | 90 | 134 | .672 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 112 | 2.0 | 136 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1969-70 | 24 | San Diego Rockets | 36 | 474 | 190 | 5.3 | 75 | 180 | .417 | 40 | 55 | .727 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 57 | 1.6 | 85 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1970-71 | 25 | Los Angeles Lakers | 54 | 506 | 266 | 4.9 | 105 | 254 | .413 | 56 | 87 | .644 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 54 | 1.0 | 72 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1971-72 | 26 | Los Angeles Lakers | 67 | 926 | 449 | 6.7 | 197 | 441 | .447 | 55 | 74 | .743 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 127 | 1.9 | 75 | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1972-73 | 27 | Los Angeles Lakers | 55 | 801 | 399 | 7.3 | 167 | 390 | .428 | 65 | 82 | .793 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 65 | 1.2 | 81 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1973-74 | 28 | Los Angeles Lakers | 72 | 1361 | 684 | 9.5 | 287 | 667 | .430 | 110 | 144 | .764 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 128 | 1.8 | 148 | 2.1 | 54 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1974-75 | 29 | Los Angeles Lakers | 46 | 1016 | 507 | 11.0 | 219 | 523 | .419 | 69 | 93 | .742 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 85 | 1.8 | 121 | 2.6 | 36 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1975-76 | 30 | Phoenix Suns | 62 | 813 | 289 | 4.7 | 117 | 301 | .389 | 55 | 77 | .714 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 50 | 0.8 | 57 | 0.9 | 22 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 9 Season Totals | 528 | 8187 | 3906 | 7.4 | 1619 | 3914 | .414 | 668 | 948 | .705 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 855 | 1.6 | 913 | 1.7 | 112 | 13 | 0 | ||||
| Playoff Stats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | G | Min | Pts | PPG | FGM | FGA | FGP | FTM | FTA | FTP | 3PM | 3PA | 3PP | REB | RPG | AST | APG | STL | BLK | TO | |||
| 1968-69 | San Diego Rockets | 5 | 76 | 37 | 7.4 | 16 | 37 | .432 | 5 | 6 | .833 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 11 | 2.2 | 2 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1970-71 | Los Angeles Lakers | 7 | 135 | 66 | 9.4 | 29 | 69 | .420 | 8 | 11 | .727 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 15 | 2.1 | 14 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1971-72 | Los Angeles Lakers | 15 | 244 | 78 | 5.2 | 33 | 99 | .333 | 12 | 16 | .750 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 29 | 1.9 | 14 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1972-73 | Los Angeles Lakers | 7 | 53 | 18 | 2.6 | 9 | 27 | .333 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 5 | 0.7 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1973-74 | Los Angeles Lakers | 5 | 106 | 39 | 7.8 | 18 | 50 | .360 | 3 | 4 | .750 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 6 | 1.2 | 10 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1975-76 | Phoenix Suns | 5 | 27 | 13 | 2.6 | 6 | 15 | .400 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Totals | 44 | 641 | 251 | 5.7 | 111 | 297 | .374 | 29 | 38 | .763 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 66 | 1.5 | 52 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
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