The Los Angeles Lakers are conceivably the greatest sports franchise in American sports history, as well as basketball history. And a large part of that success is accredited to the Showtime Lakers era, which involved Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
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The success that they have witnessed over the past forty years shadows their failures which lasted over the duration between 1954 and 1980. The organization was in turmoil.
Having won just one championship in twenty years before Magic Johnson arrived in 1979, the Laker franchise was in desperate need of revitalization. Enter Pat Riley!
Los Angeles Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss has provided a detailed version of the events that transpired when Riley was promoted to the role of a coach within the franchise.
Also read: Shaquille O’Neal, Who Once Suffered a $295,000 Blow, Revealed Pat Riley’s Absurd 13% Rule
Jerry West backed Pat Riley when no one else did
In an interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on an episode ‘All the Smoke’, Jeanie Buss divulged the events that transpired in 1979 which led to the appointment and inculcation of Riley into the franchise.
Buss stated-
“Well they looked to the broadcast booth and Pat Riley was working with Chick Hearn calling the games and they knew obviously he was available because that’s the season, so that’s how he became on the coaching staff. We won the championship that first year and the next year, West had wanted to take the ball out of Magic’s hands and that did not make Magic happy”
The fascinating bit about Buss’ revelation is how Jerry West opted to switch from a successful strategy into one that wound up affecting their chances at another championship.
Buss continued-
“We lost the second year, now we’re going into Magic’s third year and Magic says to my dad, look I’m not happy the way this coach is coaching me and my dad says look you guys are leaving for Utah, go play the game there and we’ll talk about it when you get back, so after that game, we lost at Utah, Magic says to the media I want to be traded, so now the pressure’s on and my dad has to make a tough decision, and so my dad’s decision was, he really wasn’t comfortable with Pat taking over so he wanted Jerry West and Pat to co-coach, and it’s like they never looked back.”
Pat Riley assumed the responsibilities of head coach in 1981 and carried on his obligations for nine years. Within that span, the Lakers accumulated four NBA championships. Not bad for someone who was working in the broadcast booth.
Pat Riley’s current whereabouts.
The former NBA champion has successfully transcended his playing career into his coaching career. Following his stint with the Lakers, Riley picked up coaching roles with the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat, where he won a championship with the latter in 2006.
That makes for five NBA championships as a coach. A phenomenal achievement. Since then the 77-year-old has taken up executive responsibilities of the Heat franchise and is currently the executive president of the Miami-based franchise.
