When most fans think of coaches, there’s only one thing that matters, wins and losses. What was your record, and how many rings do you have? That’s the determining factor on which coaches get hired and fired and put in the Hall of Fame, but the very best coaches don’t only set their players up for success on the court or on the field, they set them up for success in life.
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Pat Riley certainly had the wins as a coach to put himself among the all-time greats. He won five NBA titles as he prowled the sideline with the Lakers and later the Heat, and he presided over what has to be the most fun team ever assembled in the Showtime Lakers.
In honor of his contributions in L.A., the Lakers unveiled a statue of Riley just over a week ago outside Crypto.com Arena, and in all honesty, it’s one of the better recent sports statues we’ve seen. It depicts him in one of his signature Armani suits with his hair slicked back and his fist aloft, a pose many Lakers fans in the ’80s got used to seeing as Magic Johnson led the team down the court.
Magic made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, and he spent much of his time talking about his Riley. What was striking was that we’re nearly four decades from the last title that Magic and Riley won together, and yet the legendary point guard still holds his former coach in such high regard.
Magic was asked what made Riley such a special coach, and he responded, “Easy. He was a perfectionist. You had to do everything right. He always preached making sure that we worked hard and we were mentally and physically tough, and then he always had an excellent gameplan when we went against anybody, whoever we played against. And he was very demanding.”
“I love that,” he continued, “because he coached me hard, and all the skill sets he was able to bring out of me, I use them today in business. Not only was I a better basketball player, but I’m a better man today because of Pat Riley.”
That right there is the essence of a legendary coach, someone who impacted his players for the rest of their lives. Would Magic have been able to build a billion-dollar business empire without the lessons he learned from Riley? Probably not.
Magic joked that Riley, who without a doubt is known as the sharpest dresser in NBA history, scolded some of the former players who attended his statue unveiling for not wearing a tie. The man is 80 years old, but he still brings that same perfectionist attitude to everything he does.
Pat Riley is one of the greatest coaches of all time, in any sport. His statue will serve as a reminder of that forever, but just as important is the way his former players like Magic still talk about and revere him.
