Page "Pat Riley" Paragraph 11

One of Riley's most famous moments came when he guaranteed the crowd a repeat championship during the Lakers ' championship parade in downtown Los Angeles ( he first made the guarantee during the post-victory locker room celebration ).

While the 1988 Lakers did not produce as many wins in the regular season as the 1987 Lakers, they still managed to win the NBA title, becoming the first team in 19 years to repeat as champions.

The Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons in seven games in the 1988 NBA Finals, making good on Riley's promise.

Riley's titles with the Lakers make him the fifth man to play for an NBA Championship team and later coach the same NBA team to a championship.

The others are Bill Russell, Tom Heinsohn, K. C. Jones, and Billy Cunningham.