The NBA is a league built on narratives. Just look at Pat Riley, UK alum and President of the Miami Heat, whose team just clinched their sixth Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the past 12 years. Today, he’s known around the world as one of the most accomplished coaches and executives in league history. But without one lucky break, he never would have gotten his shot.
HBO’s hit series Winning Time: the Rise of the Lakers Dynasty tells the story of that break, albeit with a fictionalized bent. In the show, John C.