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Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the 7 greatest coaches since 1980

By Eric Hirsch

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers slaps hands with Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half in Game Three of the first round of the playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 22, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers slaps hands with Head coach Frank Vogel of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half in Game Three of the first round of the playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at the AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 22, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement-Pool/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images – Los Angeles Lakers /

Top 7 Los Angeles Lakers head coaches since 1980: 2. Pat Riley

An assistant to Paul Westhead on the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers championship team, Riley assumed the head coaching position following Westhead’s ouster in late 1981. He remained as head coach until 1990, during which time the Lakers went to the Finals seven times and won four championships.

His Showtime Lakers teams– with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy– are considered among the best basketball teams ever assembled. In his nine seasons as head coach, the Lakers made the playoffs each year and never once lost before the Conference Semi-Finals.

Five of these teams won 60 or more games and all nine won at least 50. Put simply, Riley was the architect of a nearly unparalleled run of dominance by a single franchise in NBA history.

Though it’s difficult to rank one championship run above another, the most memorable season may well have been in 1986-87. Following a Celtics championship in 1984 and a Lakers title in 1985, Boston believed they had the knockout punch in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry with their famed 1986 campaign. The 69-win Celtics easily won the championship that year and earned the label as the greatest team of all time.

Meanwhile, the Lakers had bowed out in the Conference Finals. Determined to reclaim the throne the following year, Los Angeles dominated all season long, winning 65 games and finishing ten games ahead of the second-seeded Dallas Mavericks. In the playoffs, the Lakers lost only one game total against the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Seattle Super Sonics, setting up a showdown with the Celtics in the Finals.

After winning Games 1 and 2 at home, the Lakers stole Game 4 in Boston to take a 3-2 series lead back to Los Angeles. In Game 6, Johnson recorded 19 assists to help the Lakers to beat the Celtics and bring the title to its rightful home in Los Angeles.

Well-known for his encouragement of a fast-paced, run-and-gun offense, Riley also placed considerable emphasis on defense and rebounding. Between Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Worthy, and defensive stopper, Michael Cooper, the Showtime Lakers had an incredibly balanced roster with tons of depth. Their make-up and style would serve as a model for many NBA championship teams over the ensuing three decades.

BEST SEASON: 

1986-87: 65-17; 1-seed; Won NBA Championship (4-2 over Boston)

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