Pat Riley

They were good.

We just couldn't get a bounce here or there.

I mean, that's what happened.

And that was one of the most painful times for me at the beginning because I wanted to turn this franchise around so quickly.

Right, right.

But there's certain levels of a success, I think.

whether it's the first round, whether it's the second round, whether it's Eastern Conference finals or the finals.

I mean, if you win it all, it is very, very hard.

That's a hard trip for a whole season for any team.

And so our level of success was very good based on what it was prior to our coming together here.

And but I wasn't satisfied because I knew we had a team that year, those years that was championship type team.

And so for whatever reason, why we didn't get there, I took it very personal and they became.

some of the darkest years for me at the end of the seasons, you know, after we had lost by a point here or a point there in the finals against New York.

It was they were a great team, too, and very competitive series, always going to the ultimate game and losing.

And and it's not fun.

You know, it's just it just takes you to a place of darkness.

And so

When I talked about starvation with the Lakers, I was starving for an opportunity to do something to find another path.

And this was another form of starving to take this franchise that I'm not saying that it was inept.

It was not inept.