During one of the Lakers’ three increasingly desperate timeouts in the fourth quarter, Karl simply told his players, “Get the ball to Sleepy.”
Tag Archives: Pat Riley
James Worthy: Steady Star in a Glitzy Town, 1991
Over the past five seasons, Worthy has firmly—if unspectacularly—established himself as one of the NBA’s top forwards.
Ralph Sampson: Why He Can’t Be a Winner in Houston, 1986
The fact is that while Sampson may stand 7-4, his game has never been that of a traditional low-post center.
The Laker Roadshow . . . Starring Wilt Chamberlain, 1972
They affectionately call him “Big Fella.” Wilt Chamberlain is a proud man in the twilight of his career at 36, going on 40. But sometimes his moods are almost childlike.
The Unarrested Development of Gheorghe Muresan, 1997
“If I wasn’t playing basketball,” he says, “I am not sure what I would be doing. When I stop playing, I am not sure. It doesn’t matter. For now, I am basketball player.”
Pat Riley: Taking the Man Inside, 1994
Riley believes that the only way to make a team out of isolated players is “to get them to do what they don’t want to do.” Yet he knows, too, that there are things certain players can never do.
Abdul-Jabbar Remains Kareem of the Crop, 1983
“His skyhook is still the cruise missile of the NBA. But we need to shore up in the areas where we’re weakest, and they happen to be in areas where he can also dominate.”
Coach Pat Riley: Satin Steel, 1995
Unlike Riley’s Hollywood, show-business Lakers, the Knicks are just plain business, more closely resembling the stock exchange and Wall Street.
Danny Manning: The New Best Thing in L.A., 1993
“Manning is the closest thing to Earvin Johnson in this league,” said Knicks coach Pat Riley, who won four championships with Magic in L.A. “Danny has that level of skill.”
Doc Rivers Spills on How to Beat Jordan’s Bulls, 1998
The Bulls dynasty must someday come to an end. In fact, Bulls management itself—in its eagerness to rebuild—may dismantle the team. If that’s the case, this season will be the last to beat Jordan’s Bulls. Here’s how you do it.
From Way Downtown 