'Talent knows talent' - Pat Riley on learning how to scout the most talented prospects from Jerry West

Before he became a great Miami Heat executive, Pat Riley was under the wing of NBA icon Jerry West in Los Angeles. It was Pat's job to lead the team that West had created to an NBA Championship.

Pat had a front-row view of how West drafted or recruited some of the best Los Angeles Lakers players of all time, like Magic Johnson, James Worthy, AC Green, and more. From Riley's view, "The Logo's" talent for spotting talent was rooted in his greatness as a player.

"If you've been around the league as long as Jerry was and if you were the talent that Jerry was — which was the best in the league at that time or one of the top three or five in the world — I think talent knows talent. They just know it. They see it, they feel it. In the attitude, how the player walks," Riley explained, per the Legends of Sport podcast.

"Jerry was big on hands and length and verticality because he was a great athlete," Pat pointed out.

Great as a player and as an executive

For his career, No. 44 averaged 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. He was known both for his uncanny shooting ability and playmaking. Apart from his offensive chops, West was a great defender and was a member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times.

One of Jerry's greatest picks was Kobe Bryant. "The Black Mamba" was picked 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA Draft. Surprisingly, the 1969 NBA Finals MVP pursued the Lower Merion standout by trading for him.

Many questioned the move, but such criticisms went away when Kobe developed into a superstar. Together with Shaquille O'Neal, he led the Lakers to a three-peat. Post-Shaq, Bean continued his basketball excellence by winning two more titles."

"Jerry was a great talent evaluator, especially on young players," Riley noted. "I wasn't necessarily that way. I had the ability to recruit free agents who were already talented."

Riley's greatest talent

After his coaching career, Pat moved to the Heat front office and built a championship team. His hallmark accomplishment came in 2010 when he recruited LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Beach, where they formed the Big Three with Dwyane Wade. In four years, the Heat snagged two NBA Championships and became one of the greatest teams ever. "The Godfather's" efforts were recognized when he was named Executive of the Year in 2011.

Post-big three-era, Miami is still a legitimate playoff contender. They made it to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023—tangible signs of Riley's searing talents as an executive.