In a recent interview, former New York Knicks head coach Pat Riley reminisced on his days in the Big Apple. In light of a recent brawl between Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden, Riley discussed the fights between his players during the 1990s. He coached New York from 1991 to 1995, guiding his team to the 1994 NBA Finals.
Riley went down memory lane with host Dan LeBatard on the Dan LeBatard Show.
“They were real men; I don’t say that in contrast to anybody else, but they were real raw, and when we got Xavier McDaniel and Anthony Boner, it went to another level,” Riley said. “So I loved coaching those guys because it was hand-to-hand combat every night; they loved the defensive end of the court. I loved Patrick, I loved Oak, I loved all of them, and I wish we could have won a championship together against Houston in ’94, but we didn’t.”
In contrast to today’s game, Riley mentioned a game against Charles Barkley and the Philadelphia 76ers, in which the Knicks held their opponent to under 60 points.
“One of my favorite games ever that I coached in with the Knicks was 64–57, that was a score against Barkley,” Riley said. “I think it was Barkley was there in Philadelphia. We won 64–57.
“We held these guys to 57 points today. They would throw me out of the league if that happened.”
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about Patrick Ewing recently, playing in front of the Knicks legend who starred on Riley’s team. Towns seized the moment via a 27-point, 13-rebound performance in a 112-98 win against the Raptors.
Pat Riley allowed Knicks players to fight during practice
The Knicks’ toughness was a significant part of their identity. It sometimes extended beyond their in-game play, as Riley remembered teammates fighting during practice.
“So we started after warmed them up, and they got a full sweat, and we went live and matched up X against Anthony Mason, and I knew what was coming; everybody knew what was coming,” Riley said. “They were both men who believed in territorial acquisition, and so it happened quick.”
Understanding his big men’s brewing anger, Riley said allowing his players to express themselves was essential.
“You had to do it. I had to get it over with, and it happened quickly, and both of them squared off and started throwing,” Riley added. “It went from one bleacher to another; we were chasing them down left and right trying to stop it, and finally, we stopped it, and both of those men looked at each other, shook hands, and they said, okay, we understand each other, right? And that was it, and they were great teammates.”
The Knicks will host the Thunder on Friday night.
