Showtime!
"Hey, they made their run, and guess what guys? That won't be the last one. You'll see another one. And here's another thing; They'll see two more runs from us. So this is going to be a long game". - Pat Riley, 2006 NBA Championship - Game 6. Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks
This was the turning point in the game that the Miami Heat would go on to win and consequently, clinch the 2006 NBA Championship. Riley is a genius motivator. He makes hundreds of thousands every year making speeches. And this isn't even his full time job.
I witnessed many of these moments in the 1980's, as an avid Laker fan. I learned of many more by reading his book, written after the back-to-back titles in 87-88. I like Riley.
When his team had to win a Game 6 on the road in Boston Garden to clinch a title, (only something that no other team had ever done before..And Boston owned 15 Titles at the time), he shored up the Laker weakness.
The Lakers were destroyed in Game 1 of this series, in a game called The Boston Massacre. The Celtics beat the Lakers by about 40 points. It was over in the second quarter.
The Lakers were getting killed on the boards. In the locker room before Game 2, Riley wrote on the board "No Rebounds, No Rings". The Lakers out-rebounded the Celtics and won a squeaker. Now, they were coming home tied 1-1. It didn't matter what the total score of both games were. They wanted a split in Boston and they got one.
The Lakers won 2 out of 3 in LA and went back to Boston with a 3-2 lead in the series with the final games on the road.
Riley convinced them that they must win Game 6 because the Celtics would certainly not lose a Game 7 on their home court. However, that wasn't the motivation that the Lakers needed. They already knew that.
The Showtime Lakers of the '80's, with Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem, Rambo, Cooper and more...were the "finesse" team of the NBA. The "Blue Collar" Celtics of Larry Legend, Kevin McHale, The Chief, Danny Ainge and the rest of those people I hate...were considered the working class team of the NBA.
The Celtics played bad-boy ball. The flagrant foul was invented thanks to Kevin McHales' clothesline "blocking" foul that nearly decapitated Kurt Rambis.
The Lakers had to play more physical with the Celtics. Riley wrote on the board before Game 6 "No Easy Baskets". The Celtics were stunned. The Lakers were pumped. It was close at the end, but the Lakers did something no other team in NBA history had ever done. They clinched a Championship on the floor of the Boston Celtics.
Riley wrote in his book, "There are two states of Being. Winning and misery". Riley looked very free of misery last night. The night he won his 5th NBA Championship as a head coach.
The Dallas Mavericks did indeed make another run after Riley's speech. The Miami Heat made 3 more.
Wednesday June 21, 2006 - 07:09pm (MDT)
This was the turning point in the game that the Miami Heat would go on to win and consequently, clinch the 2006 NBA Championship. Riley is a genius motivator. He makes hundreds of thousands every year making speeches. And this isn't even his full time job.
I witnessed many of these moments in the 1980's, as an avid Laker fan. I learned of many more by reading his book, written after the back-to-back titles in 87-88. I like Riley.
When his team had to win a Game 6 on the road in Boston Garden to clinch a title, (only something that no other team had ever done before..And Boston owned 15 Titles at the time), he shored up the Laker weakness.
The Lakers were destroyed in Game 1 of this series, in a game called The Boston Massacre. The Celtics beat the Lakers by about 40 points. It was over in the second quarter.
The Lakers were getting killed on the boards. In the locker room before Game 2, Riley wrote on the board "No Rebounds, No Rings". The Lakers out-rebounded the Celtics and won a squeaker. Now, they were coming home tied 1-1. It didn't matter what the total score of both games were. They wanted a split in Boston and they got one.
The Lakers won 2 out of 3 in LA and went back to Boston with a 3-2 lead in the series with the final games on the road.
Riley convinced them that they must win Game 6 because the Celtics would certainly not lose a Game 7 on their home court. However, that wasn't the motivation that the Lakers needed. They already knew that.
The Showtime Lakers of the '80's, with Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem, Rambo, Cooper and more...were the "finesse" team of the NBA. The "Blue Collar" Celtics of Larry Legend, Kevin McHale, The Chief, Danny Ainge and the rest of those people I hate...were considered the working class team of the NBA.
The Celtics played bad-boy ball. The flagrant foul was invented thanks to Kevin McHales' clothesline "blocking" foul that nearly decapitated Kurt Rambis.
The Lakers had to play more physical with the Celtics. Riley wrote on the board before Game 6 "No Easy Baskets". The Celtics were stunned. The Lakers were pumped. It was close at the end, but the Lakers did something no other team in NBA history had ever done. They clinched a Championship on the floor of the Boston Celtics.
Riley wrote in his book, "There are two states of Being. Winning and misery". Riley looked very free of misery last night. The night he won his 5th NBA Championship as a head coach.
The Dallas Mavericks did indeed make another run after Riley's speech. The Miami Heat made 3 more.
Wednesday June 21, 2006 - 07:09pm (MDT)
posted by BoiseJag at 5:16 PM
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