The 2023 NBA Finals marks the nineteenth time of his profession that Pat Riley has made an look within the season-ending sequence.
If Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and Erik Spoelstra could lead on the Warmth to a victory over the Nuggets, it might mark a historic victory not just for the franchise, however for Riley. His final ring got here within the 2013 NBA Finals, and a victory vs. Denver would mark a 10-year distinction in between championships.
Riley is arguably one of the vital impactful and profitable names concerned within the NBA, having received his first NBA Finals ring as a participant in 1972 — 51 years in the past. One other ring would merely add to what’s already one of the vital adorned careers within the historical past of the league.
This is every little thing you have to learn about Pat Riley’s NBA Finals profession timeline, together with rings received, all-time appearances and extra:
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What number of NBA Finals rings does Pat Riley have?
Riley has 9 NBA Finals rings. He’s the one particular person in NBA historical past to have no less than one championship as a participant, assistant coach, head coach and govt.
Listed below are the variety of rings Riley has received in every of these roles:
- Participant: One
- Assistants: One
- head coach: 5
- Executives: Two
Pat Riley timeline of NBA Finals appearances, championships
Riley is tied for second all-time in NBA Finals appearances with former Celtics coach and common supervisor Purple Auerbach (who has 16 NBA Finals rings). Jerry West ranks first all-time with 30 NBA Finals appearances as a participant and govt with the Lakers and Warriors.
MORE: What number of rings does Pat Riley have?
This is a rundown of Riley’s appearances within the NBA Finals:
| Finals | staff | Roles | Gained? |
| 1972 | Lakers | Participant | Sure |
| 1973 | Lakers | Participant | No |
| 1976 | Suns | Participant | No |
| 1980 | Lakers | Assistant | Sure |
| 1982 | Lakers | Coach | Sure |
| 1983 | Lakers | Coach | No |
| 1984 | Lakers | Coach | No |
| 1985 | Lakers | Coach | Sure |
| 1987 | Lakers | Coach | Sure |
| 1988 | Lakers | Coach | Sure |
| 1989 | Lakers | Coach | No |
| 1994 | Knicks | Coach | No |
| 2006 | Warmth | Coach | Sure |
| 2011 | Warmth | Executives | No |
| 2012 | Warmth | Executives | Sure |
| 2013 | Warmth | Executives | Sure |
| 2014 | Warmth | Executives | No |
| 2020 | Warmth | Executives | No |
| 2023 | Warmth | Executives | TBD |
Lakers
1972 (gamers)
Riley earned his first NBA Finals ring as a reserve participant on the legendary 1971-72 Lakers staff that went 69-13. Los Angeles beat Phoenix in 5 video games within the 1972 Finals, with Riley showing in each recreation. He averaged 16.2 minutes, 5 factors, 1.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per recreation.
1973 (participant)
The Lakers and Riley tried to defend their title in 1973 however misplaced in 5 video games to the Knicks. Riley logged just one minute within the sequence.
1980 (assistant)
Following his retirement as a participant in 1976, Riley returned to the Lakers as a broadcaster from 1977-79. He returned to the court docket in 1979-80 as an assistant underneath Paul Westhead, who was elevated to go coach after first-year coach Jack McKinney suffered a biking accident. That season, Riley helped coach a Lakers staff that went 60-22 with rookie Magic Johnson and veteran Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers beat the 76ers in six video games.
1982 (coach)
Riley was elevated to go coach after Johnson bought right into a verbal altercation with Westhead. Riley helped information the Lakers to 50 wins of their final 71 video games, then presided as Los Angeles went 12-2 within the postseason, together with 4-2 in opposition to Philadelphia within the Finals.
1983 (coach)
Riley’s second try at profitable back-to-back NBA Finals once more fell flat because the 76ers lastly bought one of the best of the Lakers within the Finals, sweeping Los Angeles.
1984 (coach)
Riley made the NBA Finals for a 3rd straight season, this time in opposition to Larry Chicken and the Celtics. The Lakers squandered a 2-1 lead, dropping to Boston in seven video games.
1985 (coach)
Riley received his second ring as a head coach in his fourth straight Finals look, overcoming the “Memorial Day Bloodbath” to beat the Celtics in six video games.
1987 (coach)
The 1987 Finals marked the third and last assembly between the Lakers and Celtics, leading to a rubber-batch victory for Magic over Chicken. Riley’s LA staff went 11-1 previous to the Finals earlier than beating Boston in six video games.
1988 (coach)
The 12 months prior, Riley assured a repeat title for the Lakers, which might have marked the primary time that occurred within the NBA because the Celtics received in 1968 and ’69. He delivered on his promise as they beat the Pistons in seven.
1989 (coach)
The Lakers made a 3rd straight Finals look in 1989, this time falling to the Pistons in seven video games. It was the final time Riley made the Finals as LA’s coach.
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Suns
1976 (gamers)
Riley was traded to Phoenix two video games into the 1975–76 season, however was not a major contributor of their Finals look that season: He performed one minute within the six-game loss to the Celtics.
Knicks
1994 (coach)
Riley, getting into his third season because the Knicks’ coach, lastly bought New York to seem within the NBA Finals in 1994. The Knicks misplaced in seven video games to the Rockets.
Warmth
2006 (coach)
Riley, who had coached Miami because the begin of the 1995-96 season, lastly led the Warmth to their first Finals look in 2006 (after briefly retiring following the 2002-03 season). In his first season again, he helped Miami overcome a 2-0 deficit to brush the following 4 video games vs. the favored Mavericks.
2011 (govt)
Riley’s first Finals look solely as an govt got here in 2011: the primary of 4 straight with the Dwyane Wade-LeBron James-Chris Bosh superteam in Miami. The Warmth misplaced in six video games to the Mavericks, nevertheless it was a harbinger of issues to return.
2012 (govt)
Of their second straight look within the Finals, Riley’s Warmth upended the Thunder in 5 video games, giving coach Spoelstra his second ring and first as a head coach.
2013 (govt)
The Warmth made their third straight Finals look in 2013, however almost misplaced in six to the Spurs earlier than Ray Allen hit a nook 3 to pressure time beyond regulation. Miami received in OT, then once more in Recreation 7 to provide Riley his ninth — and most just lately — NBA Finals ring.
2014 (govt)
The Warmth’s final Finals look as a superteam got here in 2014, although James and Co. did not experience off into the sundown: They misplaced in 5 to Gregg Popovich and the Spurs.
2020 (govt)
The 2020 Finals — certainly, all the 2020 postseason — was performed out within the Orlando, Fla. bubble. Regardless of an amazing effort from Jimmy Butler, accidents to Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic helped pave the way in which for LeBron, Anthony Davis and the Lakers to win in six.
2023 (govt)
As soon as once more, Riley’s staff is on the precipice of an NBA Finals championship. A win over the Nuggets, the highest seed of the Western Convention, would give Riley a tenth ring. Regardless, this Warmth staff is historic in that it is simply the second 8 seeds to make the Finals following the 1998-99 Knicks. Ought to Miami win, it might develop into the primary 8 seeds to win the NBA Finals.