Sept. 6, 2008

Former member of Rupp’s Runts, Pat Riley, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.

Riley, who played at Kentucky from 1965-67, was a member of the 1966 squad affectionately known as Rupp’s Runts. Earning third team AP All-American honors in 1966, Riley finished his Wildcat career in UK’s exclusive 1,000-point club and still ranks 17th (1,464) on the school’s all-time scoring list.

Following a successful college career, Riley was drafted seventh in the 1966 NBA Draft by the San Diego Rockets. After winning an NBA Championship as a player (Los Angeles Lakers, 1972) and as an assistant coach (Los Angeles Lakers, 1980), Riley set his sights on a head coaching career. He went on to win four titles with the Lakers in the 1980s (1982, ’85, ’87 and ’88) and one more with the Miami Heat in 2006.

Riley, who still serves as president of the Heat organization, is the sixth Wildcat to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He joins Adolph Rupp, Cliff Hagan, Frank Ramsey, Dan Issel and C.M. Newton.

Joining Riley in the Class of 2008 are Adrian Dantley, William Davidson, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, Cathy Rush and Dick Vitale.