Lakers Announce Pat Riley Will Finally Receive Statue Outside Crypto.com Arena

Ricardo Sandoval | Nov 18, 2024

Dec 25, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Miami Heat president Pat Riley before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers legend and former head coach Pat Riley will receive a state outside L.A.'s home arena, Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers shared the news via Twitter/X.

One of the greatest coaches of all time — The Lakers are proud to announce Pat Riley's legacy will be cemented and his statue will find a home on Star Plaza pic.twitter.com/bHkjarx8CV

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 18, 2024

Riley, who has been the president and minority owner of the Miami Heat since 1995, is a Lakers legend and will be commemorated forever outside their home arena. 

Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss shared plans with Riley today over a video call alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Vlade Divac, Karen West and Chris Riley.

“Pat is a Lakers icon,” said Jeanie Buss. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team.” 

Riley was a major catalyst for the Lakers dynasty in the 1980s. Riley won six championships with the organization, four as a head coach, one as an assistant, and one as a player. 

Riley set the foundation for the Lakers' play style, laying the groundwork to create one of the most successful figures in NBA history. His approach to fast-break offense revolutionized the game, making the Lakers one of the more dynamic and exciting teams in the 1980s. 

As the Lakers' head coach, Riley recorded a 533-194 (.733) record in the regular season and a 102-47 (.685) clip in the playoffs. In each of his nine seasons at the helm, the Lakers won 50-plus games, including five campaigns of 60-plus. Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year in his final season coaching the Lakers in 1989-90. 

Riley's time with the Lakers alone gets him inducted into the Hall of Fame, but he did so much more for the game of basketball and the organizations he's been part of. 

After his time in L.A., he became the head coach of the New York Knicks, where he coached them for four seasons and led them to the 1994 NBA Finals. 

After the 1994-95 season, Riley resigned from the Knicks via fax and became the president and head coach of the Miami Heat, with complete control over basketball operations. He's been in Miami for the last 30 years, leading them to three NBA titles and becoming one of the more elite franchises in the game. 

Riley's prints on the game are like no other. 

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