Miami Heat president Pat Riley spent nearly two decades in Los Angeles with the Lakers. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers)
Sunday marked a special afternoon for president and former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Pat Riley, whose statue was unveiled outside of Crypto.com Arena.
The ceremony was held three hours before the Lakers’ 6:30 p.m. EST tip against the Boston Celtics. Here’s how the statue looked:
Riley, who’s been with the Heat for three decades, nearly spent two with Los Angeles — both as a player and as a coach. Nicknamed the Godfather, Riley won six titles with the Lakers, including five as a Lakers coach, including three over a four-year span from 1984-1988.
As the Lakers’ head coach, Riley went 533-194 (.733) with a 102-47 record in the postseason. In nine seasons, Riley won 50-plus games each year, with five 60-win seasons. He also won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award in 1989-90, his last season in Los Angeles, his first of three COY awards.
Riley’s professional basketball career began in Southern California with the San Diego Rockets. Now, he’ll be forever immortalized as an all-time Lakers great. He now joins Magic Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, Chuck Hearn, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Kobe Bryant as those who have earned statues in Star Plaza.Â
Congratulations, Pat!
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