Jerry West on why he pushed for then-broadcaster Pat Riley to become Lakers coach: "Guys got mad at how hard he practiced against them"

pat-riley-and-jerry-west

Before ushering in the ‘Showtime’ era, Pat Riley held various roles with the Lakers – first as a player until 1976 and then as a broadcaster the following year. In 1979, ‘Riles’ made quite a big step in transitioning to an assistant coach.

Interestingly, that appointment was facilitated by the advocacy of another Lakers great, Jerry West. ‘Mr. Clutch’ once confirmed this in an interview with SLAM, while explaining his reasoning.

“Pat was always an extremely intense guy. You could tell what he had inside of him by the way he practiced. No one wanted to practice against him because he was so intense, and every day, he competed as if it were a game. Guys got mad at how hard he practiced against them,” West remarked.

Superstar and sidekick

The legendary Lakers figures of Riley and West played together for the Purple and Gold from 1970 to 1974, winning the 1972 championship title. Both held the guard positions but with distinct styles and varying levels of success.

West was an absolute superstar and one of the greatest players of all time, becoming a Finals MVP, a scoring champion, an assist leader, a 14-time All-Star, and a 10-time All-NBA First Team member – accomplishments that Riley likely could only have dreamed of at the time.

This rings true because, in contrast to West, ‘The Godfather’ never held a starting position, never stood out with exceptional performances, and never even came close to becoming an All-Star during his professional career, which began with the 1967 NBA Draft.

The makings of ‘The Godfather’

Instead, ‘Riles’ established himself by demonstrating often overlooked qualities that are now considered hallmarks of skilled role players – tireless effort, unwavering determination, and excellent physical fitness. In a sense, these were attributes that also reflected the traits of an exceptional coach, as West believed. He stated that, “They’re competitive just like the players.”

Pat’s and Jerry’s shared time on the court ended when the latter retired. ‘The Logo’ then coached the Purple and Gold from 1976 to 1979 before transitioning to a front office role.

‘Riles,’ who departed to join the Suns in 1975, had evidently made a strong impression on West with the qualities described. However, the same sentiment wasn’t shared by the then-Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Rewinding back to the 1981-82 season, the Californian franchise was desperate to find a new head coach after Paul Westhead’s unsightly departure. However, there was evidently no clear succession plan, which led to one of the most bizarre head coach announcements ever, starring Buss, West, and Riley. Back then, the owners’ remarks about the new coach were so vague that West seemed compelled to later directly tell Riley, “You’re the only f****** head coach.”

However, in hindsight, no tears were shed over this. ‘The Godfather’ proved to be the perfect man for the job, as evidenced by his four championship rings won as the Lakers’ head coach.