“Don’t say you guys... I liked being coached hard” - Magic Johnson denies being bothered by Pat Riley's demanding coaching style unlike some teammates
Pat Riley had a successful tenure as head coach of the Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led LA Lakers dynasty during 1980s. He led them to four NBA championships as their main man and one as an assistant to Paul Westhead.
Riley was a key contributor to the 'Showtime Era' for the LA Lakers, led by the tandem of Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He received immense respect from the organization and the players during his reign as the team's head coach. However, Riley's tenure in LA didn't end positively.
Pat Riley's demanding coaching style got to several players towards the end of his Lakers' stint. He eventually decided to step down and leave when the team lost in the 1990 playoffs against the Phoenix Suns in the Conference Semis.
A recently released documentary about the franchise's rise under the late Dr. Jerry Buss' ownership, "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers," revisited Riley's coaching career with the Lakers.
In the fourth episode, then-GM Jerry West, former star players Magic Johnson, James Worthy, AC Green and Riley himself spoke about the end of his stint.
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The segment revolved around how Riley's strict approach throughout his time as a head coach with the Lakers affected his equation with the players. During Johnson's interview, he was asked if all the players had stopped listening to Riley at the time, but the former #1 pick pointed out that he wasn't among those players.
Here's how the conversation went:
"So, do you think you guys were not listening to him (Pat Riley) anymore?" asked the interviewee.
"No, don't say you guys; Magic Johnson, I liked being coached hard," responded Johnson.
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Pat Riley reveals Magic Johnson may have been the only guy in his corner towards the end of his LA Lakers tenure
Pat Riley and Magic Johnson's pairing was instrumental in forming the LA Lakers' dynasty in the 1980s.
Riley brought back the Lakers' up-tempo style instilled by former head coach Jack McKinney and his-then assistant Paul Westhead, who later tried to alter those tactics after leading the team to a title win in 1980.
Johnson was a vital cog in all three head coach's attempts at implementing that style due to his elite vision and ability to set up his teammates in transition. As the three-time MVP mentioned earlier, he wasn't among the players who tried to block Riley towards the end of his coaching career.
Pat Riley also hinted that Magic Johnson was probably the only player in his corner during his final few games with the LA Lakers in the 1990 playoffs when he thought other players were pulling away from him. Here's what Riley said regarding this in the fourth episode of "Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers":
"I couldn't get down on my knees and mea culpa this thing. I had to follow through with what I was doing. Eventually, it just came down to, you know, me calling plays for Magic Johnson. That was it. I think he might have been at that time, the only guy in my corner, maybe."
The Showtime players loved that our Coach Pat Riley had expectations of all of us as individuals and as a team. He pushed us to be great.
Riley left the Lakers after the 3-1 series loss to the Suns in the 1990 playoffs' conference semis. Nevertheless, he had a successful regular season. He led the team to a 63-19 record and won his first-ever coach-of-the-year award.