Jeanie Buss Describes How Pat Riley Changed Things Up to Command Respect After Taking Over as HC of the Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recently made an appearance on Games With Names, hosted by Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman. The former New England Patriot was able to pick Buss’ brain on several topics, including how Pat Riley became the coach of the “Showtime” Lakers.

Buss explained how Riley had to grind his way up from being a color commentator before taking over the reins of the team. The 63-year-old shared how Riley essentially backed his way into a coaching gig for Los Angeles following a near fatal accident to the franchise’s previous coach, John McKinney.

In McKinney’s absence, the assistant coach stepped up in his stead. During this period of the NBA, teams only had one assistant coach, so when Paul Westhead moved up to interim HC, the assistant job became vacant. Westhead named Riley to the position.

Eventually, Westhead was let go after butting heads with the franchise’s rising star, Magic Johnson. As a result, Riley was promoted once again and quickly solidified himself as a household name.

Buss then described how Riley’s new gig changed his demeanor. She stressed that the now-legendary coach didn’t want to be referred to as his nickname, “Riles”, anymore, instead preferring “coach”. This was also the time when Riley started implementing his signature slicked back hair too, according to Buss.

Since everyone knew him from the radio, Riley had to command respect as the franchise’s new head coach. His dedication to the job helped revitalize a Lakers franchise that hadn’t seen much success throughout the previous decade-plus.

Of course, having Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar certainly made that job easier, but Riley still deserves plenty of credit.

Jeanie Buss has credited Pat Riley for his influence on the Lakers

Pat Riley quickly transformed from a color commentator into one of the most successful coaches in the association. The franchise recently honored him with a statue in Star Plaza, immortalizing his contributions to the city, which included four NBA championships.

As someone who witnessed Riley’s growth from the very beginning of his coaching career, Jeanie Buss had high praise for the 79-year-old. “Pat is a Lakers icon,” Buss said in a statement. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. 

Buss proclaimed that the style of basketball Riley and the “Showtime” Lakers created remains a blueprint for the franchise today. Riley continued to make contributions elsewhere, but his impact on Lakers basketball will never be forgotten.