Pat Riley’s Bold Words Sparked Lakers to Deliver Two-Peat in 1988, Says Michael Cooper

Pat Riley was one of the most instrumental figures behind the Los Angeles Lakers’ success in the 1980s, and according to Michael Cooper, a member of the Showtime Purple and Gold squad, very few matched his attention to detail. He recently reflected on the role played by the legendary coach in the Lakers’ wins over the budding Bad Boy Pistons.

This Detroit team, led by Isiah Thomas, was getting ready to stamp its authority on the NBA, and defeating the ever-so-dominant Lakers was the way to do that. But back in LA, they were adamant for consistent success.

The Lakers had won the Championship in 1985, but fell to the Rockets the following year. Then, they won again in 1987, and were desperate for a back-to-back. No team in the NBA had won consecutive titles in 16 years. The fear was that they would falter again, but credit goes to one man for preventing that from happening — Pat Riley.

“What do you do to prepare your team to go for that run? What way could Pat Riley get us fired up?” Cooper began, in a VladTV interview.

And as it turns out, following their victory in the 1987 Finals, Riley promised everyone in the organization that they were gonna win it again.

“That whole summer– usually when a team wins a championship, you go off and go on vacations with family, you’re gone like three or four weeks, or a month, you come back and take your time. Everybody, when he said that, and we went into a locker room, coach Riley goes, ‘You know, I’m guaranteeing’.[a championship win] Everybody took [just] two weeks off.” 

Cooper recalled how almost every player on the Lakers roster returned to the gym, and leveled up. Those who ran just 2 miles normally, pushed harder to run 2.5 miles. They were all motivated, and knew that the extra effort could very well pay off when they won the title once again.

“That’s what Pat Riley did to get us ready,” he said. “Most teams use training camp to get into shape. We didn’t use training camp for that. We used training camp to get our game into shape. So that’s what we did.” 

The Lakers met the Pistons in the 1988 NBA Finals, and it wasn’t an easy series. It went to seven games, but the Lakers did it. They became the first team in 16 years to go back-to back. It was truly their defining moment, and what made the Showtime Lakers so special.