Lakers unveil statue as Pat Riley laments missed Heat ‘dynasty’ with LeBron James
On the same night the Lakers unveiled a bronze statue, pat riley reflected on LeBron James’ four-year run with the Miami Heat and the championships that followed. Riley weighed what might have been after James left for the Cleveland Cavs in 2014, saying he still wonders if the Heat could have become a longer dynasty.
Pat Riley statue unveiled Sunday
On Sunday the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue honoring Pat Riley outside Crypto. com Arena at Star Plaza, immortalizing the architect of the Showtime era in bronze. The ceremony took place before the game against the Boston Celtics on February 22, 2026 at Crypto. Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, with a photo by Adam Pantozzi documenting the moment.
Riley reflects on Heat run
Riley, 80, spoke about LeBron James’ days in Miami during a news conference in Los Angeles on Sunday. He recalled assembling the Big 3 — Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron — and said, “I thought getting the Big 3 — Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron — that we had finally put together what I thought could become a dynasty. ”
He called the stretch “an incredible run, ” noting “Four trips to the Finals in a row, two world championships. ” Riley added that as a coach and builder of that team he “saw something that could have lasted eight to 10 years. ”
LeBron James responds in Los Angeles
All-Star LeBron James, who later paid respect to Heat president Pat Riley, spoke to reporters in Los Angeles on Sunday after a journalist relayed Riley’s comments. James said, “I never said I’m going to go there four years and decide to go somewhere else. That’s just how the cards were played. ” He called the four years “great” and said, “We were able to pick up two championships, we lost two of them, unfortunately. But a lot of great memories, a lot of great time there. It would have been interesting to see what could have happened. ”
Why Riley still ponders the move
Riley said he understood James’ decision to return to Cleveland, adding, “I understood. The business in the NBA is the business in the NBA. Players have an opportunity to go somewhere else; he went to Cleveland and won a title up there. So I wish him nothing but the best. ” He also admitted a personal wish: “But I’m going to be selfish here and say I wish I had him for another six or eight years. That would have been great. But we’ll never know, will we?”
The context of that departure includes Chris Bosh taking offense when James left Miami in 2014. James would later win his fourth title, and first with the Lakers, in 2020. Riley, who led the Lakers to four championships from 1982 to 1988 as a head coach and also coached the 2006 champion Heat, said he wished James could have led the Heat to at least three championships.
Showtime legacy and honors
At the ceremony, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said Riley “forever changed the history of our league — with flair and swagger, ” and called him a “guardian angel for the franchise. ” Earvin "Magic" Johnson described Riley as the “greatest in-game adjustment coach we’ve ever seen, ” adding, “Thank you for pushing me to another level. Every time we went to battle, we were prepared. ” Johnson also said former owner Jerry Buss, Hall of Famer Jerry West and legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn were surely smiling from above.
Riley became the first person in franchise history recognized primarily for his coaching career, joining a lineup of Lakers icons with bronze statues outside the arena, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Chick Kern. Shaquille O’Neal, who could not attend, said Riley “changed a franchise, ” and added, “That’s not style. That’s legacy. ” Dwyane Wade, who won a title under Riley in Miami, said Riley “changed the game by building culture. ”
Coaching résumé and milestones
At 80 years old, Riley remains president of the Heat and one of basketball’s most influential executives. He rose to prominence as the architect of the Lakers’ high-octane Showtime era in the 1980s, guiding Los Angeles to four NBA championships and later delivering the Miami Heat’s first NBA title, giving him five championships as a head coach overall.
Riley was named Coach of the Year three times with three different franchises — the Lakers (1989-90), New York Knicks (1992-93) and Heat (1996-97) — and earned 11 Coach of the Month honors between 1983 and 2006. Over his coaching career he led teams to at least 50 wins in 17 seasons, including seven 60-win campaigns, and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. During his remarks on Sunday he said, “It’s not about mediocre. It’s about excellence. ”
The Lakers lost to the Celtics, 111-89, on Sunday. The coverage around Riley’s remarks also touched on other Heat items: Erik Spoelstra defending Myron Gardner after a $35, 000 fine with an “easy target” declaration, and the question of Heat players Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic’s status for a Bucks game amid a doctor visit.
Unclear in the provided context: any additional details about the statue’s sculptor or the full guest list at the unveiling.
Closing: The statue unveiling and Riley’s comments on the Heat’s Big 3 era framed a night in Los Angeles that blended commemoration of a Showtime architect and a public reckoning with what might have been after LeBron James’ departure in 2014.
