"Every outburst from Riley was meticulously planned in the past, a means to motivate his players," Magic Johnson said. "But in the 1987 Western Conference Finals, Riley lost control. He always lost it whenever he clashed with Ah Gan."
After the fourth game, he berated everyone in the locker room, calling their play a pile of dog shit, criticizing their defense, their shooting, and for letting Ah Gan score easily under the basket.
Normally, such an outburst would have made the players feel ashamed, panicked, and someone would step up to take responsibility, gathering strength for the next game.
But this time was different.
Riley found that his players were expressionless, not even listening to him, and they no longer cared about his scolding.
Turning around, Riley unleashed his fury on a glass fire extinguisher cabinet, shattering the glass with a punch. His hand was wounded by the shards.