The architect of the 80s ‘Showtime Lakers’, Pat Riley, is a legendary and iconic figure in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers and around the entire league. He will soon be immortalized and remembered forever outside the team’s home arena with a statue.
The Lakers announced on Monday that a statue honoring Riley will be placed on Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena. An official date for the unveiling has yet to be announced, but the organization said that the statue is expected to be finished and ready for display in 2026.
Riley will be the eighth member of the Lakers franchise that has been honored in this way, joining the best of the best in Laker history, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Chick Hearn and Elgin Baylor on the plaza.
Riley led the Lakers to four NBA titles, becoming an infamous face of the “Showtime” era that was arguably the most successful in franchise history. The starting point of that unforgettable era was recently recounted for a new and younger generation of fans that did not get to enjoy the original, in the HBO dramatic series, “Winning Time,” based on author Jeff Pearlman’s 2014 book, “Showtime.”
From 1981 to 1990, Riley’s teams dominated the decade winning 50 games or more in each of his nine seasons on the bench as the Lakers coach. In five of those years, the Lakers won 60-plus games. His 533 regular season wins are the second-most in franchise history, behind Phil Jackson’s 610. Including postseason victories, Riley won 635 games with the Lakers. He was honored as NBA Coach of the Year in 1989-90.
“Pat is a Lakers icon,” Lakers team owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today.
Embed from Getty Images“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.”
Current Lakers coach JJ Redick, whom some within the organization have compared to Riley because of his intense demeaner and sharp presentation, applauded the decision on Monday.
“Deserved,” Redick said, adding that he watched the Hulu documentary “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” which features interviews with Riley, as part of his preparation for the season. “He’s a legend in the game of basketball. And obviously did a lot for this franchise. … So I’m very happy for him. Well deserved.”
Riley’s history with the Lakers goes further back than his head coaching tenure. He wore the purple and gold and played for the team for six seasons from 1970 to 1975, averaging 7.8 points per game as a shooting guard. That stint included the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won 33 consecutive games and an NBA title.
Additionally, Riley was an assistant coach for three seasons under head coach Paul Westhead, during which the team won two NBA championships.
Riley is currently the team president and a minority owner of the Miami Heat. After leaving the Lakers following the 1989-90 season, he coached four seasons with the New York Knicks and 11 with the Heat, winning a championship in 2006 over the Dallas Mavericks. His 1,210 wins as an NBA head coach rank fifth in league history.
