Pat Riley Quotes (275 Quotes)

There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or you're out. There's no such thing as life in-between.

(The players) didn't like last night. It was embarrassing. But that's what you deal with. Once you understand what happened, you've got to get on with making those improvements.

Management must speak with one voice. When it doesn't management itself becomes a peripheral opponent to the team's mission.

I think they have great respect for New Jersey. They are a very effective team right now and they're developing a lot of confidence.

We are all so quick to judge around here, but the demise of Shaquille O'Neal has been greatly exaggerated. I guarantee you that.

Teams are going to start getting nastier, more competitive and they want it, and they're going to get ready for playoffs. And when they happens you just have to walk away from it and you have to play at a higher level.

But the players are so instinctive, they always put a hand on these guys.

It's that kind of attitude when we talk about getting better. How do we get better We get better in the mind. We have a veteran team, they know how to do it. We stay disciplined with our defense and our principles and we make this kind of covenant with each other that we're going to defend.

I think the overall health is OK. Everybody has something wrong with them but it is not debilitating. We just have to keep our fingers crossed everyday that we can keep everybody on the court.

I thought we played the best quarter of the series, quite frankly. We kept it very simple and the ball moved to open shooters and we made the shots that we had to make.

He has a little bit of a slow release on his jumper. He's got to get there quicker, be set a little quicker. ... People are closing on him pretty hard and making him put it on the floor.

I also believe Odom would complement Eddie Jones and Brian Grant, our two veteran leaders. As I have said before, we are committed to winning and will do whatever it takes to give our fans talented players and a great team.

Derek (Anderson) made some big plays coming down the stretch and then we got the miracle. I don't know how the ball ended up in Alonzo's hands, but it ended up in his hands and he dunked it.

It came down to one or two plays and we didn't make them.

He was having a great game and it was a pretty ugly foul. I think he is OK.

Discipline is not a nasty word.

They came out, really wanted to make a statement, jumped on the team defensively. We had a lot of energy to start the game.

Being ready isn't enough; you have to be prepared for a promotion or any other significant change.

He's just got to go to the rim with every block. Shaq has a tendency to go to the body and get a lot of fouls.

I don't think there's any doubt what kind of skill level he has.

Look for your choices, pick the best one, then go with it.

If Tim Duncan's foot is bothering him in the playoffs, you never know what could happen. The Lakers are a good team. They could make a run in the West.

Being a part of success is more important than being personally indispensable.

Don't let other people tell you what you want.

I thought Jason was great. I love him as a point guard. I wouldn't have traded for him if I didn't. And I thought Wade was really good. He was magnificent.

He's right there with (Red) Auerbach and you've got to give him his kudos. He's done something remarkable and has an opportunity to do something even more.

He's incredible. That's what we have learned about him, that he's a big-game player, a big-time player at the end. He has no fear at the end and he simply wants to be put in that position. He has a way of making plays.

That's two games in a row that we showed, at a time when we need to show it, a real lockdown mentality defensively. It's not surprising to me if they're committed on doing it. They've done it off and on. Not consistent. It's when the mood strikes them.

This is a multibillion-dollar business.... Our players have to recognize that they are part of this corporate world and there's a decorum that has to be upheld while they are at work.

We know he's a big-time tumbler. He goes hard to the basket. He hits the floor a lot. If he could play he'd be out there.

That was the first time I ever called an open isolation against a 2-3 zone. He's a remarkable player and I'm glad to have him on my team.

There are universal truths of defensive basketball. If a guy is open, guard him. Don't leave him standing in the corner or out on the three-point line.

One time we had Antoine Walker at center.

We had to buckle down, and I thought in the second half, especially in winning time that period in the fourth quarter when we had to make stops, we made some tough spots.

What people don't understand is, last year we had two great players, but you need more talent. You can never have enough talent.

There can only be one state of mind as you approach any profound test; total concentration, a spirit of togetherness, and strength.

Riley said he hopes to sign Shaquille O'Neal for up to five years. From my experience with big men, we did not start the dynasty in Los Angeles until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was 32 years old, ... From the time Kareem was 32 to the time he was 42, the team won five championships.

When I left, I knew the end was near. I didn't think it was going to be 48 hours. ... Anybody who's been through it, you understand. I've got a job to do and I'm going to do it.

We don't have an answer for that team and right now, we don't have a defensive game for it. I think you have to play against them probably four, five, six times to realize exactly what it is that you need to do to try to stop them.

I was very conscious of (players') minutes and in the end I was very conscious of health. Today is not a good barometer to judge us.

That's none of my business.

We got it done at both ends of the court in that fourth quarter. That's the type of effort we need night in and night out.

The big guy O'Neal is coming. I could really see him struggling back then, coming off his ankle injury and having to get everything back together.

If he's put in that role every single night, he'd average 20 points per game. You sort of forget a little bit how good he can be when he gets a number of good opportunities.

Don't make me say it, We've got to keep him on the court.

If we had come back with the same team as last year, it would have been a disaster. We didn't have the firepower to sustain what we needed in this conference. Last year was a honeymoon year. A couple players had career years. I didn't believe we had the core of players like the core we have now. We have a lot more versatility now.

Phil has always been one of the great complainers of all time. I think he does it from a coaching standpoint. He definitely wants to get a mindset out there if in fact he ever plays the Mavericks in the playoffs.

You have to defeat a great players aura more than his game.

His injury is not very good.

I'd like my reputation to stay as it is and to be remembered for a wonderful decade.