Pat Riley Statue Unveiled as pat riley Is Honored Outside Crypto.com Arena

pat riley was honored on Sunday in Los Angeles with a nearly 8-foot tall, 510-pound bronze statue outside Crypto. com Arena that depicts the Hall of Fame coach in a Giorgio Armani suit and crocodile leather belt. The unveiling — before the Lakers hosted the Boston Celtics — put Riley’s likeness between statues of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Star Plaza.

Statue specifics and symbolism

The bronze rendering shows Riley holding up his right fist high in the air, the "Showtime" Lakers’ signal for Magic Johnson to pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his signature skyhook during the 1980s. The statue is nearly 8 feet tall and weighs 510 pounds, and it immortalizes Riley’s fashion sense with the coach depicted in a Giorgio Armani suit and a crocodile leather belt.

Pat Riley's career and championships

Riley coached the Lakers from 1981 to 1990 and won four championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988, with the 1988 title coming after he famously guaranteed a repeat at the 1987 championship parade. He last roamed NBA sidelines in 2008 after 24 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. Riley is a Hall of Fame coach and is currently the Miami Heat’s team president.

Guests, speeches and reactions

The dais for the unveiling included Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dwyane Wade and Lakers acting owner Jeanie Buss, and acclaimed actor Michael Douglas sat with them and spoke about Riley’s influence. Douglas said, "I was with Pat, we went to Miami, we were driving in his red Mercury, a convertible with the top down. I was sitting in the backseat, I was looking at Pat driving and I said, 'His hair's not moving! This is a convertible!' and so I said that's the way I wanted to go [for Gekko]. "

Also present at the ceremony were James Worthy, A. C. Green, Bob McAdoo, Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon and Byron Scott. Dwyane Wade, who won three NBA championships under Riley's leadership with the Heat, attended as well. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, whose father Jerry Buss hired Riley, hosted the ceremony and 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. ”

Halftime ceremony and on-court remarks

When the statue was unveiled, Riley smiled and offered a thumbs up in approval. The celebration continued at halftime with Johnson emceeing a midcourt ceremony in front of a sold-out crowd. At halfcourt 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. He joked, "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. " The statue emerged from a flurry of purple and gold confetti and stands between the statues of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Reflections on the Heat Big Three

Riley also reflected on his time building the Miami Heat’s Big Three. He recruited LeBron James to play for the Heat, teaming him with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010. On the day he was honored by the Lakers, Riley said, "I thought getting the Big Three — Dwyane [Wade], Chris Bosh and especially LeBron [James] — 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 I thought could last 8-10 years, " and acknowledged "the business of the NBA is the business of the NBA, " saying players have opportunities to go elsewhere. Riley said he wished he had LeBron for another 6-8 years but accepted that "we'll never know. Will we?"

The context for those remarks includes the Big Three era spanning from 2010 to 2014, LeBron James’ departure from Miami in 2014, and James later winning a title in Cleveland in 2016. LeBron is noted as playing in his NBA-record 23rd season, and he had exercised an early termination option before returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Miami's Big Three era produced a. 718 win percentage from 2010-14 that trailed only the San Antonio Spurs'. 740, and the Heat became the third different franchise to make four consecutive NBA Finals appearances alongside Bill Russell’s Celtics and Larry Bird’s Celtics, and Riley’s "Showtime" Lakers.

Inscription and final remarks

The base of the statue includes an inscription 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. "

Riley spoke about current Lakers LeBron James and JJ Redick during a pregame news conference and reflected on his gratitude at being honored: "I don't know how I got here, but I got here and now there's a statue out there. And I'm so grateful. I really am. It's beyond gratitude. I'm so grateful to be honored and to be with those who are the giants that I jumped up on their shoulders and they carried me. They did it. And here I'm today. "

Riley is the eighth Laker with a statue on Star Plaza, joining Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The statue stands in perpetuity outside Crypto. com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.