Pat Riley
Patrick James Riley ( born March 20, 1945 in Rome, New York ) is a retired American basketball coach. He became famous for his time as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, 1981-1989 With total of 1210 victories at 694 Losses (as of April 19 ). Heard Riley 's most successful coaches in the NBA history. In twenty years, coach he led his team to the playoffs 19 times, and 8 times in the NBA Finals. In 2008 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During his college years at the University of Kentucky Riley learned from legendary coach Adolph Rupp. Between 1967 and 1976, Riley played for the San Diego Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. In 1981 he became the successor of Paul Westhead as head coach of the Lakers, when he was dismissed after a dispute with star player Magic Johnson. With Riley, the Lakers won four titles until 1988, including the first title defense as Los Angeles Lakers in the club's history ( '87, '88). After the final was lost 0-4 against the Detroit Pistons, Riley gave up his coaching job.
The New York Knicks took him in 1991 to make their team to Star Center Patrick Ewing a title candidate. In the playoffs, the '93 Knicks already proven as the hardest opponent for Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, but succeeded only in 1994 the Knicks the final. There, they lost in a balanced 3:4 series against the Houston Rockets with Hakeem Olajuwon. After winning the title in 1995 failed again, Riley moved to Miami.
When the Miami Heat at the same time he took out the duties of coach and general manager. Riley was able to build a high-profile team with players such as Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway. Between '98 and 2000, however, the Heat were subject in the playoffs Riley's former employer, the Knicks. 2000 was the star player of the Heat, Alonzo Mourning, found kidney damage, which is why you had to do without him in Miami. After Riley in 2002 and 2003 failed to lead the Heat back to the top league, he gave his coach Stan Van Gundy from post at full for his attention to devote to his duties as general manager. During this time he traded Caron Butler, Brian Grant and Lamar Odom against the dominant center of the Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal.
On December 12, 2005, he took up his post again, and then in February 2006 to give the office of General Manager Randy pounds. On 20 June 2006, he won and the Miami Heat by an away win in the sixth game of the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA championship. For the Miami Heat, this was the first title for Riley even the fifth. The end of April, 2008 Riley announced his resignation as basketball coach.