5 Coaches With the Most Wins in NBA History

Two of the greatest coaches ever in NBA history. Gregg Popovich & Don Nelson
Two of the greatest coaches ever in NBA history. Gregg Popovich & Don Nelson

#4 Pat Riley - 1,210 Wins

Riley filed for a trademark on the term 'three-peat' during his time as head coach of the Lakers
Riley filed for a trademark on the term 'three-peat' during his time as head coach of the Lakers

Pat Riley's confidence and charismatic nature set him apart from most of the other successful coaches.

He coached the Lakers, Knicks and Heat, the most memorable term being in LA(1981-90) where he won four NBA titles(1982, 1985, 1987 & 1988) along with one of his three Coach of the Year awards in 1990. He would win additional Coach of the Year honours in 1993 and 1997.

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His tenacity in leading the Showtime Lakers built around Magic Johnson and venerable centre Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, catapulted him into superstardom.

Returning to the sidelines during the 2005-06 season as his second stint as Heat coach, he guided the play of Wade, Shaq and the Miami Heat to an unforgettable NBA title campaign.

Although he stopped coaching after the 2007-08 season, he kept contributing to the Miami franchise through the front-office and was instrumental in convincing LeBron James to come to Miami(which led to two more titles in 2012 & 2013).

Riley was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2008.

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Edited by Alan John
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