PATRICK JAMES RILEY
As a player, Pat Riley had an extensive 9-year career. He was the 1967 first-round pick (7th overall) of the San Diego Rockets for their inaugural 1967-68 season. After three seasons, he joined the Lakers in 1970-71 and played 5 years. He was a member of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers that won a then-NBA record 33 consecutive games and the NBA Championship. Riley finished his playing career with the 1976 Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns.
Born in Schenectady, NY, Riley attended Linton High School where he became a two-sport star in basketball and football. He was a member of the Linton basketball team that beat historic Power Memorial High and center Lew Alcindor, who, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, would later lead Riley’s Lakers to greatness. As a tribute to his accomplishments, Linton renamed its gym in Riley’s honor in 1997 and inducted him into its hall of fame in 2000.
After turning down an offer to play football for Bear Bryant at Alabama, Riley decided instead to play basketball for Adolph Rupp at Kentucky from 1963-67. He was a collegiate star, earning team MVP honors three times and averaging 22 points per game on the Wildcats’ famed “Rupp’s Runts” squad that lost in the 1966 NCAA Finals to Texas Western. A gifted athlete, he was an 11th-round draft choice of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in 1967 although he never played college football.
Summary
|
G |
FG% |
FT% |
Rebs |
RPG |
Asts |
APG |
Stls |
Blks |
Pts |
PPG |
|
528 |
.414 |
.705 |
855 |
1.6 |
913 |
1.7 |
112 |
13 |
3,906 |
7.4 |
Full Name: Patrick James Riley
Born: 3/20/45 in Rome, NY
College: University of Kentucky
Drafted: San Diego Rockets (1st Round, 7th pick), 1967
Transactions: Signed with Lakers, 1970; Signed with Phoenix Suns, 1976.
Nickname: Pat
Height: 6-4; Weight: 205 lbs.
High School: Linton in Schenectady, NY
Honors: 11th-round draft choice of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in 1967 although he never played college football; Member 1976 Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns; Member of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers that won a then-NBA record 33 consecutive games and the NBA Championship.
Straight from the pages of NBA.com
http://basketball-reference.com/players/r/rileypa01.html
http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/sdrock/sdrockets.html
Wen Roberts/NBAE/Getty Images