Basketball legends Pat Riley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar created an unforgettable legacy as partners on the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s.
Riley had the honor of naming his former star center the greatest player to ever play in the NBA. And finally, Abdul-Jabbar provided his thoughts on his former head coach giving him that label.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Acknowledges Pat Riley’s Praise for Him
Riley and Abdul-Jabbar worked together on the Lakers from 1979 to 1989. Riley started out as an assistant coach before taking over as the head coach in 1981.
Simply put, Riley never looked back. He led the Lakers to four championships throughout the decade while Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson commanded the team’s attack that continues to be famously remembered as the “Showtime” era. The coaching legend recently got a statue in his honor outside of Crypto.com Arena ahead of the Lakers’ clash with the Boston Celtics on Feb. 22.
Riley reflected on his time with the Lakers during an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. It was there that he revealed his stance on Abdul-Jabbar being the greatest player ever.
“I always said that Kareem was the greatest player of all time because of his longevity,” Riley recalled. “Kareem was unique from the standpoint that he could play at a high level, play 80 games a year … get beat up because of double- and triple-teams and guys just taking shots at him. He just developed this mental toughness, along with a great physical body, to really last forever.
“We don’t win championships without the greatest player in the history of the game, who had the greatest weapon in the history of the game,” Riley added. “The skyhook was unstoppable. Last minute of the game, it’s going to one guy. Kareem was the guy, and he’ll always be the guy.”
Abdul-Jabbar later took part in his own exclusive interview with Mark Medina of EssentiallySports. Medina asked him about Riley’s comments, as the former star center greatly appreciated the kind remarks from Riley.
“Riley has often considered you to be the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) because of your dominant play and longevity. What does that mean to you?” Medina asked.
“It means a great deal to me. I took pride in caring for my body and sustaining a level of play that allowed me to compete for twenty years. Pat always respected my work ethic, my commitment to the team, and the fact that every time I stepped on the court, I aimed to be the very best version of myself,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
Riley enjoyed a long head coaching career, representing three teams over 24 seasons. He won five total championships in that span, four with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Riley retired from coaching in 2008 and embraced his executive role with the Heat franchise. He continues to man the position today, serving as the Team President and the leader in guiding the organization toward competitiveness in the modern NBA.
