COMMENTARY : It’s Difficult to Picture Riley Getting Out

The other day, amid gridlock on the Harbor Freeway, I pulled into the fast lane, creeping along at 5 m.p.h. Suddenly, I found myself staring at Pat Riley.

Not Riley in person, of course, but a life-size photograph of Riley mounted on the back of a massive Pepsi truck.

As Riley’s tanned and smiling face led me to the downtown exit, I just knew that the Laker coach will not walk away from his job, despite his recent indecisiveness.

It was as clear to me as the image on the back of that truck, Riley’s image.

If he leaves for a broadcasting job, or whatever, he also will leave most of his lucrative endorsements. You don’t see many former NBA coaches, even those as high-profile and successful as Riley, involved in the cola wars. These residual rewards, as Riley calls them, soon would evaporate.

Consider, for example, Riley’s lucrative speaking engagements. Since making good on his fabled guarantee of consecutive championships, Riley commands $20,000 a speech from Corporate America. For that, he delivers quite a potent motivational sermon. He will quote philosopher Joseph Campbell one minute, ancient Japanese warriors the next.

Imagine the explaining Riley will have to do to those mid-level executives if he abandons the Lakers this summer.

“Well, sure, it might look like I took the easy way out. But my players were grumbling. I had to work long hours. I was criticized for my managerial moves . . . “

Not exactly motivational fodder for future CEO’s.

Perception is reality, as Riley often says, and his public self would probably take a beating if he left. People might figure, right or wrong, that Riley ditched the Lakers at the first sign of decline, leaving Jerry West and Magic Johnson to rebuild by themselves.

There also is the matter of Riley’s ego, which appears to be no larger than any other coach’s.

If the Lakers make a deal or two and return to prominence next season--hey, they still have Magic and James Worthy--and Riley were not involved, it would not only give him that left-out feeling, but would lend credence to the belief that any slug can coach a team with such talent.

Riley’s mystique would be blown. It’s safer for him to leave when Magic leaves, in a few years.

I keep thinking back to Riley’s recollections of his first career crisis. He retired, grudgingly, from basketball and was spending his days rather aimlessly. He wrote a memoir that was never published, remodeled his house, became a hanger-on at the Forum.

Then one day, he was denied admittance to the Forum Club.

“Sorry,” the guard said. “No ex-players.”

Riley has said that the incident hurt him.

Granted, Riley’s situation is vastly different these days. Financially well off, he has the option, the right, to slow down, stay home and watch his son, James, grow.

But Riley firmly denies being burned out and does not seem the house-husband type. Probably now, though, after eight months of long hours and constant pressure to win, he may find the NBC commentator’s job attractive. Travel only once a week. Deliver expert opinions on the air. Fly home. Let others worry about preparing for back-to-back road games at Sacramento and Denver.

Talking with reporters Thursday, Riley admitted to being “addicted” to coaching and to the life style. Combative by nature, he enjoys coaching. Broadcasting might be tame by comparison.

Besides, Riley doesn’t seem to have much respect for the profession anymore. Riley calls reporters “buzzards,” sometimes not so affectionately. If he takes the NBC job, he becomes one of the species.

“I’d never be a buzzard,” Riley said Thursday. “I’d be a journalist.”

He’d be unhappy, is what I think.

Randy Pfund, Riley’s assistant and companion on the road, thinks so, too. “I think Pat likes coaching a lot more than people think,” Pfund said.

And, Riley, like most of us, is fond of money. Not to question his motives, but that could be the reason for this recent indecision. He knows how the game is played and it may be just a negotiating ploy, something to boost his position in contract renegotiating with owner Jerry Buss. Riley, some believe, did not discourage reports a few years back that he might replace Joe B. Hall at Kentucky, Riley’s alma mater.

Laker players, a little fed up with Riley after this playoff loss, may secretly be wishing he would leave. Maybe they shouldn’t. Who’s to say that Riley’s successor would be easier to play for, would keep them motivated during the long regular season and would run an offense they would like.

Riley may sometimes be a tyrant, but he’s their tyrant.