Columnist: Pat Riley hires coach he trusts
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-15 09:26

It matters little now what the real reasons for the switch were. He turned the team over to Van Gundy in the first place after frustrating, back-to-back seasons of 36 and 25 victories, then watched his successor win as many playoff series in two seasons as he'd won in the previous eight.

Back then, though, Riley never imagined Dwyane Wade would turn into a Magic-caliber superstar or that the Lakers would let Shaq leave.

"I was in an abyss two years ago," Riley said. "I feel a lot differently about the game, two years of watching and collecting thoughts about it."

At least he's off to a good start, with 60 games left to prove himself right or wrong. Good as he's always been at the blame game, the beauty of this move is that Riley has only one person to pin this one on.

Himself.

"I liked this win," Riley said. "If we had lost, I'd have gone and retired."