The Los Angeles Lakers Announced Monday that Pat Riley will be honored with a statue in the “Star Plaza” in front of the Crypto.com Arena. Riley, who won six championships with Los Angeles – one as a player (1972), one as an assistant coach (1980) and four as a head coach (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) – will be the Lakers' eighth luminary to get one Statue.
“Pat is a Lakers icon,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His professionalism, dedication to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My father recognized Pat's obsession and ability to take talented players and build them into a championship team. The style of basketball played by Pat and the Lakers, founded in the 80s, remains the blueprint for the organization today: a fun and successful team.”
The statue was commissioned but not yet completed. According to the team, completion is expected to occur “in 2026” and the unveiling will be announced “at a later date.”
According to the Lakers, Riley, 79, received the news from Buss on a video call on Monday. Also on the call were Riley's wife, Chris; Jerry West's widow Karen; Kareem Abdul Jabbar; Magic Johnson; James Worthy; Michael Cooper; AC Green; Vlade Divac and Kurt Rambis.
Outside the arena, Riley will be the first Lakers coach with a statue. His likeness will stand alongside those of Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, West, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Chick Hearn.
Last month, the Miami Heatfor whom Riley has served as team president since 1995, named their home court after him. “This is beyond even my idea of a reward for a man’s life’s work,” Riley said at the time. Although he is in his 30th season with the Heat, he enjoyed many of the most memorable moments of his career with the Lakers, particularly when he was head coach during the “Showtime” era. It's only right that they celebrate it too.