Lakers Unveil Pat Riley Bronze Statue Outside Crypto.com Arena
On Sunday at Crypto. com Arena’s Star Plaza the Lakers unveiled a bronze statue honoring pat riley, and the 80-year-old executive used the spotlight to reflect on LeBron James’ four-year run with the Miami Heat. The ceremony and a Los Angeles news conference produced both celebration of a coaching legacy and fresh public reflection on what might have been for the Heat’s so-called Big 3.
Pat Riley statue at Crypto. com Arena
The statue was unveiled outside Crypto. com Arena at Star Plaza on Feb. 22, 2026, marking the first time the franchise has honored someone primarily for a coaching career with a bronze figure. The new likeness joins statues of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Chick Kern on the arena’s exterior.
Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson praise Riley
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss called Riley a "guardian angel for the franchise, " saying he has "forever changed the history of our league — with flair and swagger. " Earvin "Magic" Johnson described him as the "greatest in-game adjustment coach we’ve ever seen, " thanking Riley for pushing him "to another level" and saying the teams were always prepared when they went to battle.
LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on the Heat era
On the same night, pat riley spoke at a Los Angeles news conference about the Heat stretch that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The trio won two championships in four seasons before James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014; Riley said that run included four straight Finals appearances and called it "an incredible run. " He said he "thought getting the Big 3 — Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron — that we had finally put together what I thought could become a dynasty, " and that he envisioned something that "could have lasted eight to 10 years. "
Riley acknowledged he understood James’ decision to return to Cleveland, noting the business realities of the league and that James went on to help the Cavaliers win their first championship in franchise history. Riley added that, personally, he "wished I had him for another six or eight years. " The Hall of Fame center Chris Bosh was noted to have taken offense when James left the Heat.
LeBron James later addressed Riley’s remarks, saying he never promised to stay only four years and that while it is "human nature to look back" he regarded those four seasons as "great, " citing two championships and two Finals losses. James would go on to win his fourth NBA title, and his first with the Lakers, in 2020.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Riley’s coaching record
Riley, who remains president of the Miami Heat at age 80, has a decorated coaching résumé. He led the Lakers to four championships as a head coach from 1982 to 1988 and later coached the Heat to the franchise’s first title in 2006, totaling five championships as a head coach. He was named Coach of the Year three times with three franchises — the Lakers (1989-90), the New York Knicks (1992-93) and the Heat (1996-97) — and earned 11 Coach of the Month honors between 1983 and 2006. Over his coaching career he posted at least 50 wins in 17 seasons, including seven 60-win campaigns, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. During his remarks at the unveiling, Riley summed up his standard: "It’s not about mediocre. It’s about excellence. "
Boston Celtics game and Heat-related developments
The statue unveiling came before the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 22, 2026; the Lakers lost that game, 111-89. Shaquille O’Neal, unable to attend, said Riley "changed a franchise" and called the statue a legacy moment. Dwyane Wade, who won a title under Riley in Miami, said Riley "changed the game by building culture. " Magic also invoked former owner Jerry Buss, Hall of Famer Jerry West and broadcaster Chick Hearn as figures "surely smiling from above. " The event and the post-ceremony remarks intersected with other Heat-related items on the league docket: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra defended Myron Gardner after a $35, 000 fine, calling him an "easy target" in the exchange, and the status of Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic for an upcoming Bucks game was listed as in question amid a doctor visit.
The unveiling in Los Angeles and Riley’s public reflections offered both celebration and a candid appraisal of unfinished hypotheticals — the coach-executive acknowledged what he saw as a window of potential and the league realities that closed it, while the franchise cemented his image in bronze for fans to see for years to come.
