The Los Angeles Lakers will erect a statue of former coach Pat Riley outside their downtown arena.
The Lakers announced on Monday that they had commissioned a statue to honor the coach who won four championships with the 1980s “Showtime” Lakers in Star Plaza. Riley won championship rings with the Lakers as both a player and an assistant coach.
Riley, 79, has spent the previous three decades as a coach and executive for the Miami Heat, but his NBA roots remain firmly set with the Lakers. He played with Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975 and worked as a team broadcaster until becoming Paul Westhead’s assistant in 1979.
He took over as head coach in 1981 and guided the Lakers through one of the most exciting periods in NBA history. With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading an entertaining team with a game-changing fast-break offense, the Lakers finished 533-194 (.733) during Riley’s tenure, adding 102 postseason victories over nine largely great seasons.
“Pat is a Lakers icon,” said team owner Jeanie Buss in a statement. “His professionalism, dedication to his craft, and game preparation laid the groundwork for the coaching we see in the NBA today. My father noticed Pat’s devotion and skill in assembling excellent players into a championship team. Pat’s and the Lakers’ 1980s basketball approach remains the pattern for the organization today: an entertaining and winning squad.
Riley will become the eighth Lakers legend to be recognized with a statue in Star Plaza, which has become a famous tourist destination. Others include Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
Riley went on to coach the New York Knicks for four seasons until becoming the Heat’s president and head coach in 1995. He has been Miami’s president ever since, and he won another NBA championship in 2006 during his two spells as Heat head coach.
