By Veronica An
NBA coach, Pat Riley, became the second coach in league history to notch 1,000 regular season wins when the Miami Heat beat the Orlando Magic 105-79 in 2000. The only other coach to reach this benchmark is Lenny Wilkens. Riley began his NBA career with the San Diego Rockets in 1967 even though he was simultaneously drafted in by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. In 1976, Riley joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a broadcaster. He became assistant coach for the team three years later and head coach in the 1981-82 season. Riley led the Lakers to three championships (1985, 1987, and 1988) and hopped for a threepeat, a term he trademarked, in 1989. Riley resigned from the Lakers when they lost the championship to the Detroit Pistons. Despite the loss, he was named NBA Head Coach of the Year in 1990. He went on to coach the New York Knicks in 1991 and moved on to the Miami Heat in 1995.