No matter how long he spends in Florida, Pat Riley will always be synonymous with two things — the New York Knicks and sartorial style on the basketball court. The man whose ancestors came from Ireland in the late 1800’s has proved to be a dynamite motivator off the court as well as on. His book about his 20 years of experience with the Los Angeles Lakers was hailed by author Anthony Robbins as a book that “no one committed to success can afford to miss” and an “opportunity to learn from the coach of the decade.”

After resigning from the Laker organization, Riley and his family moved to New York and a new challenge — to rejuvenate the long-slumping Knicks. It was a challenge he relished, and his detractors were abruptly silenced when he brought the Knicks to the playoffs in his first year. In his Thanksgiving column, reporter Pete Hamill listed Pat Riley as “one of the things that New York should be grateful for.”

Riley is also credited with being a master at creating success, and has long had a sideline career as a motivational speaker. After leaving the Knicks two years ago, Riley’s next coaching assignment was with his present team, Miami Heat. He wasted no time making changes there, designing a six-player trade that resulted in the acquisition of Alonzo Mourning, Tim Hardaway, P.J. Brown and Dan Majerle.

Along with his wife, Chris, Riley is involved with numerous charitable and community service projects. Their work in drug prevention has included developing D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) in California and upstate New York. They are also active in S.A.D.D. and Amnesty International. Riley serves on the beard of directors of the Magic Johnson AIDS Foundation, which also involves the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. He has received many prestigious awards, including the Miami Project Sports Legend Award in 1992.