European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 31, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pat Riley reality has exceeded All my dreams by Bill Barnard associated press at Riley always was a dreamer. As a boy in Schenectady by. He dreamed of wearing belter clothes and of being Cool like James Dean. As he got older and his athletic Talent blossomed he dreamed that his next game would be his greatest game As a player. I was always looking to the game ahead visualizing 35 Points and 15  he said but even Pat Riley s Best fantasies weren t As Good As what has really happened to him As coach of the los Angeles lakers my reality has exceeded All my  he said four championships and seven trips to the National basketball association finals in eight years of coaching i Don t know Why the lord chose to drop All those special players in los Angeles i know that i be been part of something significant everything s gone beyond my imagination. We be done something As a team that we can carry with us for the rest of our  Riley is the winning est coach in Aba history on a percentage basis both for the regular season 470-125 729 going into 1989-90 and for the playoffs 98-42. .700. In 1987-88, the lakers became the first team in Aba history to win at least 60 games for four consecutive seasons. That remarkably consistent Success made Riley the associated press pro coach of the decade ironically he has never won a coach of the year award Riley understands that the explanation for that void is a kind of Casey Stengel mentality that states that a coach with supremely talented players is supposed to win when i got the head coaching Job in 1981.1 was looked at As a Lucky Guy who just walked into a situation where i had talented  Riley said As the team continued to win it was taken Tor  in virtually every season the coach of the year is someone who wins Vith a team that is expected to lose since the voting is done at the end of the regular season championships Are not a consideration. Slowly however Riley is getting some recognition although he once quipped i get a lot of credit Lor not getting enough  a poll of basketball writers at the All Star game last year said he was the Best coach in the Aba i want to have the honors but it s never been the focus for me Riley said. Honors Are a residual effect of having a winning philosophy  he said the original perception that he had t paid his dues As a coach has faded away. When i came in. I had t gone through enough pain Riley said. Now i m being looked As a Guy who has paid his dues. People Are saying maybe it in t All Talent " Riley is widely regarded As an innovator showing selected video replays at halftime and preparing individualized motivational and instructional tapes for his players. Riley s supporters also Point to his ability to take players with enormous Talent and convince them to subvert their egos for the Good of the team. He believes that part of the Job is overblown he Calls magic Johnson a Kindred spirit who often does things just when Riley is about to suggest them. But while Johnson the Aba player of the decade already was a Star As the 1980s began Riley was Only two months removed from a broadcast microphone. At the Start of the 1979-80 season. Riley was beginning his third season As a color commentator on lakers broadcasts when head coach Jack Mike Schmidt wat arguably the Best All around third baseman of All time. By Bill barn associated pres pal Alley had much to cheer about in the to. Mckinney was injured in a bicycle Accident. Paul Westhead replaced Mckinney and asked Riley to take Over As an assistant coach. Riley the dreamer who had resigned himself to a career As a broadcaster replaced Westhead As head coach on nov. 19.1981, and went on to the Aba title in his first season. I cultivated my broadcast career. I took voice lessons and Learned everything i could Riley said. My dreams then did not include coaching. I was surprised when Paul Westhead offered me the Job. But once i became an assistant i knew i wanted to pursue a career in coaching. I thought i might end up with a College  today at age 44, he is on the verge of becoming the 13th and fastest coach to reach 500 regular season victories. He dreams of winning More Aba championships but he has never been More Content. Coaching has done far More for me than i could Ever do for it he said. Year team would get 1 he said. We d i kids parents Wou their kids weren t As i got a Little Happy and make then Johnsons by winning and part of his show 01 associated press i i came to see Christmas. The of giving can make he said he has to set up people assists Are Jot two just average play maker will me Leader Oscar Rob a scorer h on the career list game for his care even one who s 6 but it s not Nur basketball Assoc championships a years for his lean like his coach Mike Schmidt the Best with Batand Glove by Ben Walker associated press the red Mustache the intense  portrait of Cool the picture of  from now. Fans May not recall exactly How Mike Schmidt looked when he swung at a fastball or fielded a grounder. His style was t As distinctive As say a Reggie Jackson or an Ozzie Smith. Instead they la remember something More important that Mike Schmidt did More than any other baseball player in the 1980s. I m a player who s appreciated because of continuous  he said in 1986, the year he won his third most valuable player award of the decade. With a Bat and Glove he was the Best a certain Hall of Famer arguably the Best All around third baseman of All time. Especially in the 80s. He led All hitters with 313 Home runs. Despite just 15 homers in his last two years he left a healthy Eddie Murray far behind at 279. Page 14 the stars and stripes he was the map the won the world series gloves and eight Aii a after he retired. That he was the Assoc is decade and perhaps be booed by his own heard it from the not t stadium. The cheers achievements added came too late in his a when you Start players. With babe Mays they Stop and right in front of my a Damn i was Busy to with a slight laugh. Maybe it was Beca Cool on the outside i thought too much of and others charged. Whatever it worke where it counted. Look around the i and see How Many g when they played he said. That s How at least until last k image of Schmidt Thi Down and cried on it i held it All in until his no. 20 Jersey v with More distinction took their toll. He hit and despite a Home hit Only five More Bel any longer. Schmidt left As the sunday dec