Lakers unveil Pat Riley statue next to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Lakers unveiled a statue of Pat Riley outside Crypto. com Arena on Sunday, making pat riley the first head coach in the organization's history to receive a statue. The figure was revealed before the home game against the Boston Celtics and set his likeness in perpetuity.

Pat Riley statue unveiled

For decades, Pat Riley has been the architect of the Miami Het. But on Sunday the Los Angeles Lakers fixed his likeness in bronze outside Crypto. com Arena. The curtain was lifted amid a flurry of purple and gold confetti, and when the statue was revealed Riley smiled and offered a thumbs up in approval.

Statue sits by Magic Johnson

The new statue stands between statues of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The pose shows Riley holding up his right hand in a fist, the trademark signal for Johnson to deliver a pass to Abdul-Jabbar for a sky hook. The team posted the message "A Lakers icon forever enshrined. Congrats, Coach, " and that message was posted on February 22, 2026.

Next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Riley won four NBA championships as head coach of the "Showtime" Lakers alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. An inscription on the base of the statue features a quote Riley attributed to his father, Leon Riley: "There will come a time when you are challenged, and when that time comes, you must plant your feet. You must stand firm. You must make a point. About who you are, what you do, and where you come from. When that time comes, you do it. "

Halftime ceremony and remarks

The unveiling drew a host of Lakers icons. Riley was among the "Showtime" Lakers royalty present, including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, A. C. Green, Bob McAdoo, Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon and Byron Scott. Michael Douglas, a notable "Showtime"-era Lakers fan, gave a speech about his friendship with Riley. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, whose father, Jerry Buss, hired Riley, hosted the ceremony.

Jeanie Buss said, "Forty years ago, Pat was asked by Sports Illustrated what words he associated with coaching. His response was simple: 'dignity, respect, pride. ' Those are the values he lives by and the ones he embedded here. Even though Pat hasn't worked here for more than three decades, those remain Laker principles in large part because of him. That's why it was so important to us to recognize Pat with this statue right here in the heart of downtown L. A. "

Riley on Heat Big Three

In remarks to reporters Sunday, pat riley also reflected on his time building the Miami team that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He said, "I thought getting the Big Three—Dwyane [Wade], Chris Bosh and especially LeBron—that we had finally put together what I thought could be a dynasty. It was. I mean, four trips to the finals in a row, two world championships. It was an incredible run. " He added that he saw something he thought could last "8-10 years, " but acknowledged "the business of the NBA is the business of the NBA. Players have an opportunity to go somewhere else, and he went to Cleveland, and he won a title up there, so I wish him nothing but the best. But I'm going to be selfish here and say I wish I had him for another 6-8 years. It would've been great, but we'll never know. Will we?"

Johnson emceed midcourt ceremony

The celebration continued at halftime, with Magic Johnson emceeing a midcourt ceremony in front of a sold-out crowd. When Johnson handed him the microphone, Riley said, "I was born to be a Laker in 1970 at the Forum with these guys right here, " while pointing to the former Lakers lined up behind him at halfcourt. He then cracked a joke: "And of all of them, there's only one who has shown me true respect today, and that's James Worthy, who has a tie on. Everybody's got a little too casual — $2, 000 fine for everybody. "

Wade attended and reaction

Dwyane Wade, who won three NBA championships under Riley's leadership with the Heat, was also in attendance. When asked about Riley's comments about the Heat era, LeBron James said, "It's human nature to look back and say, 'OK, what could have been?' That's part of life. I thought the four years that we had were great, obviously were able to pick up two chips, lost two of them unfortunately. But a lot of great memories, a lot of great times there. It would've been interesting to see what could have happened, but I also wouldn't have [predicted I'd be playing] this game another 12 years either. So that's another story. "

The statue ceremony combined the celebration of Riley's Lakers championships with reflections on the teams he built in Miami and the span of his coaching career.