Unfortunately for Riley, he wasn’t able to put three-peat to use for his own team. While the Lakers made it to the 1989 NBA Finals, they lost to the Detroit Pistons. But it didn’t take long for Riley to profit. The Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, won the NBA Finals three years in a row from 1991 to 1993. Riley, in turn, earned licensing fees and, if negotiated, other types of revenue such as royalties and portions of profits, from sports apparel and merchandise companies that used “three-peat” in ways covered by the trademarks. Riley’s licensing take, ESPN estimated 20 years ago, was about $300,000 from the Bulls’ run. Riley earned additional compensation when the Bulls scored their second three-peat from 1996 to 1998, when the New York Yankees won three straight World Series from 1998 to 2000, and when Riley’s old team, the Lakers, won the NBA title in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Riley has said he’s given most of the three-peat money to charities .