Rumors

Pat Riley met Armani in Milan in 1978, just before his coaching career began. Armani was building an empire, revolutionizing men’s fashion and producing the signature look for the 1980s. When Riley became coach of the “Showtime” Lakers in 1981, he started wearing the Clark Gable on the sideline. The relationship lasted decades, through stops in New York and Miami, and spawned an enduring image of Riley on the sidelines: one of the NBA’s best leaders, always in a designer suit. The connection also underscores one of Riley’s strongest beliefs, one expressed last week as he was honored with an Armani-clad statue in Los Angeles: NBA coaches need to return to wearing coats and ties on the sidelines. “I think an audience wants to see somebody on the sidelines who looks like a leader, dresses like a leader, acts like a leader,” Riley said.

New York Times