Mark Jackson shares how Pat Riley instilled a rule where players would get fined 500 dollars if they let the opposing team score a layup

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In an episode of his podcast, Mark Jackson shed light on the tough mindset that characterized the NBA during his playing era. Reflecting on his time with the New York Knicks, Jackson recounted how coach Pat Riley and the players enforced a strict rule against conceding easy layups, imposing penalties for any lapses in defensive intensity.

“We had rules – no layups. When I played for the Knicks, Pat Riley… he didn’t establish the rule, but we basically individually and collectively we’re not giving up any layups,” Jackson said. “And if we saw you giving a layup and you had an opportunity to hammer somebody, that’s a $500 fine. And we held guys to it.”

Riley left his impression on each player while coaching the Knicks

Jackson wasn’t the only one who recalled Riley’s tough-minded approach; Anthony Mason also fondly recounted Pat’s commitment to instilling toughness.

Speaking to ‘Where are they now in sports’ in 2015, the former 6MOTY lauded Riley’s game acumen, highlighting how the HOF Coach meticulously crafted multiple plans for every play and situation, empowering players to adapt and devise creative approaches to overcome challenges against superior players.

Moreover, according to the 6’8″ forward, Coach Riley was the ‘best mental guy in anything,’ who persevered to get the best out of his players and win at all costs.

Riley did everything for his players to learn and get better

When reflecting on Riley’s stern and bold coaching strategies, it becomes clear that he was never afraid to implement strict measures right from the beginning of his coaching career with the LA Lakers.

After witnessing the Boston Celtics snatch the 1984 Finals from the clutches of his team and then hand the Purple and Gold a humiliating 34-point loss in Game 1 of the ’85 Finals, coach Riley was determined to make a change. As a result, he instructed the team’s reserves to go hard at the starting players during the next practice session with untamed aggressiveness aimed at disrupting their rhythm and no foul calls.

He may not have won a championship with every team he coaches, but Riley surely knew how to get the best out of every group he ever took charge of.