Pat Riley honored with statue as LeBron James and Riley revisit their Heat years
The story of the NBA cannot be told without mentioning LeBron James and pat riley. Their brief reunion on the night the Lakers hosted the Celtics included an on-court statue unveiling and a pair of candid reflections about what might have been if James had stayed longer in Miami.
Pat Riley statue unveiled before Lakers–Celtics game, placed between Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Boston Celtics, and before the game Pat Riley was honored with the unveiling of a statue celebrating his contributions as head coach of the "Showtime" Lakers. The new statue sits between the existing monuments to Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Lakers posted the message "A Lakers icon forever enshrined. Congrats, Coach 💛" on February 22, 2026.
LeBron James and Riley reflect on the Miami run that ended in 2014
Following the Lakers' loss to the Celtics on Sunday, Riley and LeBron James spent time reminiscing about their years together in Miami. Both men admitted they have wondered what more they could have accomplished had James' run with the Heat not ended in 2014, after four years and two NBA championships. James noted he never planned to go for only four years and then decide to leave, saying "That’s just how the cards was played, " while acknowledging it's "human nature to look back and say, 'Yeah, what could have been?'"
Riley praises the Big Three—Wade, Bosh and LeBron—and outlines what he saw
Riley pointed to assembling the Big Three—Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and especially LeBron—as the moment he believed Miami had the makings of a dynasty. He listed four trips to the Finals in a row and two world championships as evidence that the run "was an incredible run. " Riley added that, as a coach and builder of that team, he saw something that could have lasted "eight to 10 years, " though he also said he understood James' decision to return home.
Career context and lingering feelings after the ceremony and game
Riley's remarks came against the backdrop of a long coaching resume: as head coach of the Lakers he led the franchise to four championships in the 1980s, including back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, and he later added another championship as coach of the Heat in 2006. After the ceremony, Riley said, "I wish him nothing but the best, but I’m going to be selfish here and say I wish had him for another six or eight years, " adding, "Would have been great. But we’ll never know, will we?" James returned the goodwill, recalling that the four years in Miami produced "a lot of great memories" and two championship rings, while noting the team also lost two Finals along the way and that it "would have been interesting to see what could have happened. "
