The Lakers will honor legendary former coach Pat Riley with a statue that will be unveiled on February 22 against longtime rival Boston, according to a report from The Associated Press.
Riley spent five-plus seasons with the Lakers during his nine-year playing career, winning a championship as a role player during the 1971/72 campaign, the same season in which Los Angeles set the NBA record for longest winning streak at 33 consecutive games. After his playing days ended, he became a broadcaster for the Lakers and an assistant coach prior to becoming head coach in 1981/82.
Riley’s head coaching stint with the Lakers — which covered nine seasons and ended in ’89/90 — was one of the most successful runs of any coach in league history. During the “Showtime” era under Riley, the Lakers won four championships and made seven total NBA Finals appearances. Los Angeles won at least 50 games every year with Riley at the helm, crossing the 60-win threshold five times.
Overall, Riley compiled a 533-194 regular season record (.733 winning percentage) as the Lakers’ coach and went 102-47 (.685) during the playoffs.
Riley, who added another head coaching ring to his collection with Miami in 2006, has been the Heat‘s president and top basketball executive for the past 30 years. The Heat named their home court after the 80-year-old last October.
Riley will be the eighth Lakers legend to be honored with a statue outside the team’s arena, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
Wow more shots fired at lebron…interesting
Statues come after retirement, not before.
I think he means honoring the man he left a franchise of, because he refused to do Lebron’s bidding
^^^
Think of the message they are sending about who they really care about. Another slap in LeBron face. They want him to leave at this point. Wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in GSW
unless he’s chasing a ring and wants to hurt his legacy (though with his arrogance who knows lol) he would need to go to Miami or Cleveland and no where else… Miami makes most sense for 2025-26… they can give the lakers more value than Cleveland or GSW… unless LA thinks Kuminga is better than Wiggins somehow
They are not sending any message other than Riles is more than deserving and deep down he will always be a Laker. You should stop your obsession with James. It’s juvenile and embarrassing
Obsession? I’m pointing out facts sweetheart…
Interesting they waited this long.
They don’t mention him how are there shots fired?
Why would they unveil it against Boston? I bet the rivalry, but not against Miami?
Because deep in his heart he will always be a Laker. If you were around in the 80’s you would understand
which is why he could have returned to the franchise for the last 20 years.. and didn’t… because he’s “always” a laker… not the team he’s worked for and built for 30+ years lol
Sorry, but deep in riley’s heart, he’s probably more a knick than a laker.
The ass kicking style of the riley knicks fits his personality more than the glitz of 80s lakers
Just sayin
How many ass kicking championshipd did the Knicks win during that time?
to be fair.. Riley’s greatness was his ability to adapt to the team he had… he was flash to LA, grinder in NY, and a combo of both in Miami. He built Miami from scratch though.. which is why his legacy is in Miami IMO
fun fact.. Pat’s spent more than twice the amount of time with the Heat (31 years as of this season) than he did as a laker player / coach (9 years as a coach, 5 years as a player)… just as a coach.. Riley spent 11 years in Miami, 9 years as A/HC in LA. Riley’s legacy is larger in Miami… but the media and “perception” is always LA
He was also a broadcaster and assistant coach in LA and won 4+1 titles there.
he was an assistant for half a season when the HC was fired, he replaced him.. that’s why I said 9 A/HC years as a coach… still less than the 11 he spent on the heat’s bench…. Pretty sure 19 years as the Heats full time team president is more than a few years as a broadcaster as well lol
Wrong. Riley’s legacy will always be with the Lakers and it’s not even close. He comes back for every event that has to do with the Showtime era. He attended their reunion in Hawaii. And he will always be a Laker at heart
so the fact that he has almost 2 decades more time with the Heat.. and built the Heat into the most successful team in the NBA since 1995 … that’s meaningless cuz you like the Lakers? lol
Riley has been to every Heat event for 30 years as well FYI.. he’s about to introduce the Heat’s owner to the Hall of Fame in a few months as well
Lot’s of documentaries and lore on the Showtime Lakers. There might be sprinkling of ones in his Knicks/Heat years, but history will remember the former vs the latter
LOL “a sprinkling”…. you LA fans are such entitled lil cliches
Why can’t a player and coach have a legacy with two teams? Who cares?
What exactly are you suggesting?
Seems like there were better picks for this from a deep Laker bench.
Riley deserves this honor from the LAKERS …….. it’s a very opportune time to do it as the Buss family, who worked with Riley all those years, are about to exit fully.
It would be a bit “soulless” if this were done few years down the road, when LAKERS new ownership are fully in place.
Good for Riles.
Riley was a fool to leave New York. A championship in New York would have been worth more than the ones in Miami.
Since leaving New York, Riley got to run his own team, a life by the beach, 7 NBA finals and 3 rings …… he did well.
he’s won 3 rings and built the most successful (tied with SAS) franchise in the NBA since he arrived.. He asked for that control in NY.. they said no, he left. Get over it.
An interesting question for Lakers fans old enough to have witnessed both the Pat Riley and Phil Jackson eras. Setting aside championships themselves for the moment, which do you consider to have the stronger legacy as Lakers coach?
Also, of Riley and Jackson, which do you consider created their own greater success (x’s and o’s) and which was more successful because of the roster he had to work with?
No wrong answers here.