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What could have been???? I guess when you get old you look back... a non story.

I hated those Knicks teams and thought Riley degraded basketball by coaching that rough, beat-em-up style of play. And to think the NBA allowed it. I always thought it was the only way the game could offset the athletic domination of the Jordan/Pippen Bulls at the time---knock them out of the air. This was NOT basketball. Riley and the NBA disgraced basketball during those years.

I guess he learned the hard way by actually going through the process. Their defense was not bad but the offense was kinda soft. They relied to much on defense when they should have used their offense to take it to the other team. There were too many outside shots from the guards and fadeaway jumpers from Ewing and the rest of the forwards. If they would have powered it in more and penetraded then they would have won a championship. And to compalin about the burnout is a non story that he should have not brought out. He is still coaching isn't he? Is he trying to make an excuse again for quiting the Heat? Just another proof that he came back coaching just to put another ring in his finger.

No Pat. That kind of basketball is what made the Knicks exciting again. I loved watching that kind of b-ball and he shouldn't have any regrets about using that style.

He came within one bad night by John Starks from winning a title. Can't blame himself, really.

Starks went 2 for 18 in Game 7 in a game that the Knicks only lost by four. The final score of that Game 7 back in 1994 was 94 to 90. Gosh forbid, Starks hits about 2 or 3 more shots the Knicks win that Game, the Title and Riley wouldn't have those regrets.

DAMN! When did Pat become a mobster....That pic looks like he just shot his way to the head of 'THE FAMILY'.....

He came within one bad night by John Starks from winning a title. Can't blame himself, really.

J. HOVA: BROOKLYN'S OWN | 09/08/08, 09:17 AM
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True...and Dream taking out Ewing.

I guess he's been hanging out with the "retired" members down in South Florida.

Good point Milk Man. Hakeem did phase out Ewing well in that series.

Yeah- and remember......
other than getting a few decent players (all basically out of their primes)
it was basically Ewing + starks (who was good- but not a superstar) + garbage
for 15 years....it was a testament to how good Ewing really was.

Good point jgb.

Rolando Blackmon, Xavier McDaniel, Charles Smith, Derek Harper, Greg Anthony, Anthony Mason and etc...weren't exactly all-stars. They were either past their prime or players that no other coach wanted and Riley made them the Beasts of The East for a few years there.

He really shouldn't have regrets with that team.

I agree. Starks took over that game and just plain and simple lost it....I do think after the seventh miss the coaches should have managed it better.

Although I always repped for the Lakers, I will never forgive Charles Smith for missing all those shots against the Bulls in 1993.

For a 6 foot 11 man, to go up to the hoop four times in the last few seconds and not have powered his way in for a dunk was the most disgusting display of ball I ever seen.

I agree. Starks took over that game and just plain and simple lost it....I do think after the seventh miss the coaches should have managed it better.
drj0514 | 09/08/08, 11:08 AM


I always wondered why Riley didn't pull the plug on Starks that night, because he never did try to give up the ball or allow Harper a role in the offense to either take his shot or force the ball into Ewing. He just went ball-hog that night and even though they lost by four, if he either hit a few more shots or took a couple shots less, the Knicks would have had the Title.

Regrets with the Knicks, thats too bad. You think there would be more for them poor heat transactions he OK'd. Or running out Shaq, or signing antoine walker or jason williams.

The mistakes he made in New York pale in comparison to the mess he's made in Miami. Maybe in another 15 years he will see the mistakes he's made with the Heat. At this point he doesn't appear to have learned a damn thing.

Seriously...who would have yanked their second best player in a close game 7 of the NBA Finals? That's an easy call to make in retrospect. You think Phil Jackson would have yanked Pippen even if he was that cold? Pippen was a much better player and would've stopped firing away but that's not the point.

Hllywd. What's up with the Riley rants? It'll turn in to an FBI file one of these days :o)

Hllywd. What's up with the Riley rants? It'll turn in to an FBI file one of these days :o)
Milk man | 09/08/08, 12:44 PM

I'm just telling it like it is. I'm a Heat fan that isn't drinking the Kool-Aid. I couldn't care less about his accomplishments in LA 20 years ago.

I'll never blame Starks for that Game 7 loss ... he was a streaky shooter and picked a bad time to have his worst possible game .. what people forget is that he almost single-handedly won it for the Knicks in Game 6.. If Olajuwon hadn't gotten a piece of his game winning shot attempt, there wouldn't have been a Game 7 ... that's just the way Starks was ... I'd take him over the bums the Knicks have now any day of the week ...

That's when basketball was tough and the players didn't like each other and went out there to win ... Now they're a bunch of shake 'n' bake millionaire entertainers that worry more about their nicknames and reputations than winning basketball games ... in fact, the only time I've even seen signs of real old school team basketball this decade was the 2 weeks in August team U.S.A. shook off their embarrassing showing in Athens ... I miss the NBA on NBC, it was nice hearing that old music

Correction: the Spurs play good fundamental ball for the most part