Pat Riley still remembers the first time he met Bernie Bickerstaff at a San Diego playground.

"Back in 1967, he used to come up to the park we played at and he'd have on cutoff jeans, old Converse low-cuts with no socks and that was it," The Heat coach recalled last week. "He brought his buddies with him and we played shirts and skins. So we go back a long way."

While Riley is widely considered one of the top coaches in NBA history, Bickerstaff often has been overlooked for his contribution to the league. But as he prepares for his final game Wednesday as coach of the Bobcats, the U. of San Diego graduate with questionable basketball attire has earned respect within the league.