Los Angeles Lakers Will Honor Pat Riley with Statue
Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to pay tribute to a basketball legend. The team will unveil a statue of their former coach, Pat Riley, on February 22nd. The ceremony will take place outside the team’s stadium, where statues of iconic figures such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant are already located.
The event is even more significant as the tribute will take place during a game against the Boston Celtics, a historic rival of the Lakers.
Riley coached the Lakers from 1981 to 1990, during the era known as “Showtime”. During his time at the helm of the team, he achieved four NBA championships (1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988).
With a team led by Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar, and an innovative fast-break offense, the Lakers achieved an impressive 533-194 (.733) record under Riley’s direction. In addition, they accumulated 102 playoff wins in nine seasons.
In the nine seasons he was in charge of the team, the Lakers won at least 50 games in each of them, and in five consecutive seasons they exceeded 60 victories. Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year in the 1989-90 season.
Before his success as a coach, Riley played for the Lakers from 1970 to 1975. He was also a commentator for the team before becoming Paul Westhead’s assistant in 1979. He was part of the 1971-72 team that set a league record with 33 consecutive wins and won the NBA championship.
At 80 years old, Riley also coached the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. With the Heat, he won another championship as a coach in 2006 and currently serves as the team’s president.
Last season, the Heat named their arena court in Riley’s honor, in a ceremony attended by many of his former players.
Riley will become the eighth Lakers legend to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza, a place that has become a popular tourist attraction for fans of this franchise.
