Laker Change a Smooth One : Pat Riley: He decided to resign 10 days ago, but delay was to allow Lakers to work out easy transition, unlike 1981.

Nine years and four NBA championships later, the Lakers Monday finally conducted a news conference to announce a coaching change that actually answered more questions than it raised. Pat Riley, officially, resigned as coach. Mike Dunleavy, was introduced as the new coach. Unlike 1981, when Riley replaced Paul Westhead, the Lakers needed 10 days to make the announcement of Riley’s departure and the change in power clear.

“To be honest with you, the reason why we spent almost 3 1/2 weeks to make the decision is that we wanted to make sure we got this one right,” said Riley, alluding to his confusing introductory news conference in 1981. “And, so, Jerry West is going to be offensive coordinator, Chick’s going to handle the defense, right?”

Whereas Riley’s tenure as Laker coach began in a most confusing and amusing fashion--owner Jerry Buss saying General Manager Jerry West was the offensive coach, only to have West anoint Riley, who stood there befuddled--the concluding news conference of Riley’s long, successful Laker career was definitive and, at times, emotional.

Riley, 45, had decided to resign 10 days ago and only made it official after the Lakers agreed to terms on a reported four-year contract with Dunleavy, a Milwaukee Buck assistant for three seasons.

Riley said he is mulling an offer from NBC and talking with Buss about a position somewhere with the Lakers or on the California Sports Inc. corporate ladder.

Riley and Buss confirmed that they “mutually agreed” that Riley would resign 10 days ago. Riley said Buss asked him to wait to announce his intentions until a successor could be named. West received permission from the Bucks to speak with Dunleavy, 36, early last week and worked out an agreement during weekend negotiations in Chicago.

“Ten days ago is when Dr. Buss and I came to a mutual decision,” Riley said. “And it was my decision. During that time, (Buss) wanted to make sure Jerry (West) had the time to go out and interview people and hire a coach so that when we made this announcement, it wasn’t going to be the kind of announcement where, you know, I’m going out the front door and someone else is coming in the back door.

“The truth is, only two people the last three weeks and really, going back the last five months, have really been involved in discussions of my situation, that being myself and Dr. Buss. Five months ago, Dr. Buss and I started this process and went through many discussions.”

Riley said he and his wife, Chris, dined with Buss in February. That night, Buss offered Riley a contract extension, and Riley told Buss he was thinking of leaving.

“I think by (February), Dr. Buss knew what I had in mind,” Riley said. “But then we tabled it until the end of the season. I really needed time to sit down and decide after the season before making it final.”

Riley said he decided two weeks ago, before speculation of his status became intense and widespread. At that time, Buss told West to start interviewing coaching candidates. “I really was not privy to a lot of those talks (between Riley and Buss),” West said. “When I was told to (interview candidates) I contacted Mike Dunleavy. But I also interviewed other candidates. Just because he was the leading candidate doesn’t mean he’s the only one you talk to.”

Dunleavy said that Del Harris, Milwaukee’s head coach, told him the Lakers had asked permission to speak with him 10 days ago. He said he first spoke with West eight days ago, then met with him in Chicago at a pre-draft camp for college prospects, several times last week.

Dunleavy is 36, the same age Riley was when he became Laker coach. Neither had head coaching experience before taking over the Lakers. But Dunleavy says he is a defense-minded coach who has gleaned much of his basketball concepts from veteran coaches Don Nelson and Harris. Dunleavy played for both.

Dunleavy said he will talk with Riley’s former assistant coaches--Bill Bertka, Randy Pfund and Jim Eyan--before deciding on hiring a staff. Regardless of his assistants, Dunleavy said, he will stress defense.

“Not that it hasn’t been emphasized here before,” he said. “But, from my standpoint, if you defend, you’re always in the game.”

West and Dunleavy said they believed the Lakers, who had an NBA-best 63 victories last season, do not need to make major changes.

Dunleavy, who smiled a lot and appeared relaxed, said he feels no burden having to replace Riley, voted the NBA’s coach of the year this season.

“I don’t know any team in this league where there isn’t pressure to win,” Dunleavy said. “There’s enormous pressure I put on myself. I respect Pat Riley and look up to Pat Riley. If I can be half as good a coach as Pat Riley I will have been very successful.”

Riley, in nine seasons, had a 533-194 record. His 73.3 winning percentage is an NBA record, as are his 102 playoff victories.

But Riley spent most of Monday either confirming or denying the speculation that had grown since he had first said on May 17 that he might leave.

Riley said he has not reached an agreement with NBC to be a commentator on the network’s NBA coverage next season, but that he is very interested. He also said he and Buss have had “broad based” talks about a corporate position with California Sports, Buss’ company.

Riley denied that player dissatisfaction contributed to his decision to leave. He said he still had a good rapport with players despite problems that surfaced in a team meeting in January and “grumblings” during the Lakers’ playoff elimination by the Phoenix Suns.

“No, I never felt a separation from them,” Riley said. “I understand the dynamics of chemistry and what the team is about. The reason why we won five championships in the ‘80s and 63 games this year was good chemistry.”

West denied that his relationship with Riley had deteriorated to the point where the two had separate ideas about the team.

“I have a great, incredibly great, relationship with Pat Riley,” West said. “Of course, we’ve disagreed. Absolutely. But he and I have never had one time when we’ve raised our voices. . . . I have to look at it objectively, OK? And I look at the team maybe a little differently than he does. My job is solely to get the players the coach wants to have.”

Summarizing his career, Riley briefly looked at notes, then said:

“Man’s greatest fear--and you’ve probably heard this before--is his fear of extinction. But what he fears more than that is to become extinct with insignificance.

“What we accomplished was not insignificant. All anybody ever wants to do is have the feeling that what they do counts and matters. I’ve always told the players that they don’t just want to be the best of the best. There’s nothing wrong with being unique. We were unique.”