This week marked another possible end to a great coaching career as Pat Riley stepped down as head coach of the Miami Heat. Big deal some people say as he has done this before, but I have a feeling this one is going to stick. He's getting older, so I don’t think he’d be up for another rebuilding process & I certainly don’t think he could swoop in & steal somebody else’s thunder like he did two years ago.

Mr. Pat Riley holds a very special place in my childhood as a kid growing up in LA. He was the coach who led the Lakers to four championships in seven years & let’s not forget they had a chance to win two more. His brand of basketball was labeled "showtime" & it was exciting and like nothing anybody had seen. Growing up watching the Lakers compete for the title year after year was not only an unbelievable achievement, but the style & ease with which it was done was remarkable. I remember watching the games with my dad & then going out on our court trying to mimic the moves of Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul- Jabbar.

The heated rivalry between my Lakers & the Boston Celtics in the eighties taught me how to be competitive, respectful of your opponent & more importantly taught me that it was ok to really hate something. The demeanor in which way Pat Riley stood on those sidelines chewing his gum in his designer suits with his slicked back hair. He just looked the part of half mob moss & part basketball genius.

Even when coach Riley left LA for New York, I still followed him in the papers daily to see how he was doing with his new team. When he left NYC for Miami I knew he was up to something great & sure enough he built another winner & won a championship two years ago. Now his current team is in turmoil, in a rebuilding mode and he is taking the high road & walking away from the sidelines.

  Some people in the media are giving him grief as he is the president of basketball operations & the person who put the personnel in place, but I am giving him a free pass from the criticism as he is as close to a childhood hero as I have. Thanks for the memories Pat, you will be missed.