Career Timeline of Pat Riley: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Pat Riley made an impact.

Pat Riley is a highly successful American basketball executive, coach, and former player. He is most notably known as the president of the Miami Heat since 1995. Riley also had two stints as the Heat's head coach. Before his executive career, he was a player in the NBA.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 29, 1961: Linton High School Victory

On December 29, 1961, Linton High School, with Pat Riley as a player, defeated Power Memorial, which featured Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

1967: Drafted by San Diego Rockets and Dallas Cowboys

In 1967, Pat Riley was selected by the San Diego Rockets as the seventh overall pick in the NBA draft and was also drafted as a wide receiver by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL/AFL draft.

1969: Knicks Best Regular Season Record

In 1969, the New York Knicks had the team's best regular season, which was later tied in 1993, when Pat Riley was the coach.

1970: Selected by Portland Trail Blazers

In 1970, Pat Riley was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA expansion draft.

1970: Knicks Best Regular Season Record

In 1970, the New York Knicks had the team's best regular season, which was later tied in 1993, when Pat Riley was the coach.

1972: NBA Championship with the Lakers

In 1972, Pat Riley played a role as a reserve on the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the NBA Championship.

1972: NBA Champion as a Player

In 1972, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as a player.

1975: Traded to Phoenix Suns

During the 1975 NBA season, Pat Riley was traded to the Phoenix Suns.

1976: Riley's Retirement

In 1976, Pat Riley retired from playing in the NBA, having averaged 7.4 points per game over nine seasons.

1977: Returns to NBA as a Broadcaster

In 1977, Pat Riley returned to the NBA as a broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers.

November 1979: Hired as Lakers Assistant Coach

In November 1979, after Jack McKinney's accident, assistant coach Paul Westhead took over head coaching duties and hired Pat Riley as an assistant coach for the Lakers.

1980: NBA Champion as Assistant Coach

In 1980, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as an assistant coach.

1980: Lakers won championship

In 1980–81, the Lakers had a disappointing campaign after winning a championship in 1980, which led to the coining of the phrase "Disease of More" by Pat Riley in his book.

1981: Magic Johnson Requests Trade; Riley Named Head Coach

During the 1981-82 season, Magic Johnson requested a trade due to unhappiness with coach Paul Westhead. Westhead was subsequently fired, and Pat Riley was named head coach after Jerry West declined the position.

1982: Head Coach of Western Conference All-Star Team

In 1982, Pat Riley was the head coach of the Western Conference NBA All-Star Game team.

1982: NBA Champion as Head Coach

In 1982, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as a head coach.

1983: Head Coach of Western Conference All-Star Team

In 1983, Pat Riley was the head coach of the Western Conference NBA All-Star Game team.

1984: NBA Finals Loss to Celtics

In 1984, Pat Riley's Lakers lost in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

1984: NBA Finals Game 7 Loss with Lakers

In 1984, Riley was with the Lakers in an NBA Finals Game 7, where they lost to the Celtics, making him the first coach to lose a Finals Game 7 with two different teams.

1985: Head Coach of Western Conference All-Star Team

In 1985, Pat Riley was the head coach of the Western Conference NBA All-Star Game team.

1985: NBA Champion as Head Coach

In 1985, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as a head coach.

1985: NBA Championship vs Celtics

In 1985, Pat Riley's Lakers won his second NBA title by defeating the Boston Celtics in six games in a rematch of the previous year.

1987: Guaranteed Repeat Championship

During the Lakers' championship parade in 1987, Pat Riley guaranteed the crowd a repeat championship.

1987: Lakers Win NBA Championship

In 1987, Pat Riley coached the Lakers to win the NBA Championship, an event that would later be recapped in his book.

1987: NBA Championship with Lakers

In 1987, Pat Riley coached the Lakers, considered one of the best teams of all time, to an NBA championship by defeating the Celtics in six games.

1987: NBA Champion as Head Coach

In 1987, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as a head coach.

1988: Showtime published

In 1988, Pat Riley published his book "Showtime: Inside the Lakers' Breakthrough Season," a New York Times best-seller recapping the Lakers' successful 1987 NBA Championship run.

Show Time: Inside the Lakers' Breakthrough Season

Check it on Amazon

1988: NBA Champion as Head Coach

In 1988, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as a head coach.

1988: NBA Championship and Repeat Champions

In 1988, Pat Riley's Lakers won the NBA title, becoming the first team in 19 years to repeat as champions by beating the Detroit Pistons in seven games, fulfilling Riley's guarantee.

1988: NBA Finals Game 7 Win with Lakers

In 1988, Riley coached the Lakers to an NBA Finals Game 7 win against the Pistons, though he later had the unfortunate distinction of losing a Finals Game 7 with two different teams.

1989: NBA Coach of the Year

In 1989, Pat Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year while coaching the Lakers.

1989: Trademarked "Three-Peat"

In 1989, Pat Riley, through his corporate entity Riles & Co., trademarked the phrase "three-peat" as the Lakers aimed for a third consecutive championship.

1989: Riley's Trademarked Phrase

In 1989, Riley trademarked the phrase "three-peat," which would eventually be accomplished by Jackson's Bulls after defeating the Knicks in the 1993 Eastern Conference finals.

1989: Swept in the Finals

In 1989, the Lakers were swept by the Pistons in the NBA Finals due to injuries to key players Byron Scott and Magic Johnson, following a demanding training camp leading up to the Finals.

1990: Head Coach of Western Conference All-Star Team

In 1990, Pat Riley was the head coach of the Western Conference NBA All-Star Game team.

1991: Joins New York Knicks as Head Coach

In 1991, Pat Riley became the head coach of the New York Knicks after a year as a television commentator for NBC.

1991: Chicago Bulls Sweep Knicks

In 1991, The Chicago Bulls swept the Knicks en route to their first championship.

1992: NBA Coach of the Year

In 1992, Pat Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year as head coach of the New York Knicks.

1992: Knicks Push Bulls to Seven Games

In 1992, with Riley as coach, the Knicks pushed the defending champion Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, leading to a feud with Bulls coach Phil Jackson.

1993: Second Coach of the Year Award

In 1993, Pat Riley led the Knicks to their best regular-season record in team history, tying with the 1969-1970 team, and received his second Coach of the Year award.

1993: Head Coach of Eastern Conference All-Star Team

In 1993, Pat Riley was the head coach of the Eastern Conference NBA All-Star Game team.

1993: The Winner Within published

In 1993, while coaching the New York Knicks, Pat Riley published a second New York Times bestseller entitled "The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players", aimed at business leadership as well as basketball enthusiasts

The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players

Check it on Amazon

1994: NBA Finals Appearance with the Knicks

In 1994, Pat Riley returned to the NBA Finals, defeating the defending champion Bulls (without Michael Jordan). However, the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games.

June 15, 1995: Resigns from Knicks

On June 15, 1995, Pat Riley resigned from the New York Knicks via fax to become president and head coach of the Miami Heat.

September 1, 1995: Settlement with Knicks

On September 1, 1995, the Miami Heat settled the tampering accusations with the Knicks by sending their 1996 first-round pick and $1 million in cash to the Knicks.

1995: Heat Record and Playoff Sweep

During the 1995-96 NBA season, Riley led the Heat to a 42-40 record. Miami was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Chicago Bulls. This Heat season was notable for personnel changes, as the team welcomed franchise building blocks Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.

1995: Team President of the Miami Heat

In 1995, Pat Riley became the team president of the Miami Heat.

1996: Heat Send Pick to Knicks

In 1996, as part of the settlement for Riley's move, the Miami Heat sent their first-round pick, which the Knicks used to draft Walter McCarty, to the New York Knicks.

1997: Third Coach of the Year Award

In 1997, Pat Riley's Heat defeated the Knicks but were defeated by the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. Riley was selected as Coach of the Year for the third time.

1998: Heat lost to Knicks in Playoffs

In 1998, Pat Riley's Heat lost to their archrival Knicks in the playoffs, marking the beginning of a series of playoff losses to the Knicks.

1999: Heat lost to Knicks in Playoffs

In 1999, Pat Riley's Heat lost to their archrival Knicks in the playoffs, continuing a series of playoff losses to the Knicks.

1999: Knicks defeated Heat

In 1999, the Knicks defeated Pat Riley's first-seeded Heat team in the playoffs, mirroring the Heat's unprecedented run to the finals as an 8th-seeded team in 2023.

2000: Heat lost to Knicks in Playoffs

In 2000, Pat Riley's Heat lost to their archrival Knicks in the playoffs, completing a series of playoff losses to the Knicks.

2002: Heat finish with losing record

In 2002, the Heat concluded the season with a 25-57 record, leading to Riley stepping down as head coach.

2002: Heat suffer losing season

In 2002, the Heat finished with a 36-46 record, marking the first time a Pat Riley-coached team did not have a winning season or make the playoffs.

2003: End of First Head Coach Tenure with Miami Heat

In 2003, Pat Riley concluded his first stint as the head coach of the Miami Heat.

2003: Dwyane Wade drafted

In the 2003 NBA draft, the Heat selected Dwyane Wade as the fifth overall pick, marking a pivotal moment for the franchise.

July 2004: Shaquille O'Neal Traded to the Heat

In July 2004, Pat Riley traded Caron Butler, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, and a first-round draft pick to the Lakers for Shaquille O'Neal, solidifying the Heat as a contender.

2005: Heat reach Eastern Conference Finals

In 2005, Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal led the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons after leading the series 3-2.

2005: Riley returns to Miami Heat as head coach

In 2005, Pat Riley began his second stint as head coach of the Miami Heat.

2005: Riley replaces Van Gundy as Head Coach

In 2005, speculation arose that Riley was trying to replace Van Gundy as head coach, and Van Gundy resigned after 21 games, with Riley taking over as his successor.

2005: Heat won championship

In 2005–06, the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship, leading to their visit to the White House in 2007.

June 2, 2006: Heat reach NBA Finals

On June 2, 2006, Pat Riley's Heat team defeated the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, marking the first time Miami reached the NBA Finals.

2006: NBA Championship with the Heat

In 2006, Riley won an NBA championship as head coach of the Miami Heat.

January 3, 2007: Riley takes leave of absence

On January 3, 2007, citing hip and knee problems, Pat Riley took a leave of absence from coaching, with assistant coach Ron Rothstein assuming interim duties.

February 19, 2007: Riley returns from leave of absence

On February 19, 2007, Pat Riley returned from his leave of absence after recovering from hip and knee problems.

February 27, 2007: Heat honored at White House

On February 27, 2007, the Miami Heat were honored at the White House for their 2005-06 NBA Championship, and Riley made political comments during the ceremony.

April 28, 2008: Riley steps down as head coach

On April 28, 2008, Pat Riley announced that he would step down as head coach and named assistant Erik Spoelstra as his successor, while remaining team president.

2008: Riley ends his second time as Heat head coach

In 2008, Pat Riley concluded his second tenure as the head coach of the Miami Heat.

2010: Riley acquires LeBron James and Chris Bosh

In 2010, Pat Riley acquired LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form the Heat's "Big Three" with Dwyane Wade, transforming the team into a championship contender.

2011: Heat reach NBA Finals

In 2011, the Heat reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks, despite high expectations after forming the "Big Three".

2012: NBA Champion as Executive

In 2012, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as an executive.

2012: Heat win NBA Championship

In 2012, the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, giving Pat Riley his first championship purely as an executive.

2013: NBA Champion as Executive

In 2013, Pat Riley won an NBA championship as an executive.

2013: Heat repeat as NBA Champions

In 2013, the Heat repeated as champions, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in seven games, marking another milestone in Riley's executive career.

2013: Riley retains final say

Since 2013, although the Heat has had a general manager (Andy Elisburg), Riley has had the final say in basketball matters since his arrival in Miami.

2014: Heat lose in NBA Finals

In 2014, the Heat lost in the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurs in five games, ending their streak of championship appearances.

2019: Heat acquire Jimmy Butler

In 2019, before the 2019-2020 season, Pat Riley traded for Jimmy Butler, drafted Tyler Herro, and signed Kendrick Nunn, setting the stage for a successful season.

2023: Heat reach NBA finals as 8th seed

In 2023, The Heat had a similarly unprecedented run to the finals as an 8th-seeded team. However, the Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games in the Finals.

2023: Continues NBA Career

Through 2023, Pat Riley has been involved in 19 NBA Finals across six decades.

February 5, 2025: Riley trades Butler

On February 5, 2025, Pat Riley traded Butler to the Golden State Warriors in a five-team deal that gave the Heat Kyle Anderson, Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, and a 2025 protected first-round pick from the Warriors.