Lakers Unveil Bronze Statue of Pat Riley Outside Crypto.com Arena
The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a bronze statue of Pat Riley outside Crypto. com Arena on Feb. 22, 2026, honoring the coach and executive’s long run with the franchise. The event mattered beyond the plaza: pat riley used the same night to reflect on his Miami Heat era and what might have been with LeBron James.
Pat Riley honored at Crypto. com Arena
The statue was revealed at Star Plaza before the Lakers’ game against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 22, 2026, making Riley the first person in franchise history recognized primarily for his coaching career with a bronze figure outside the arena. The new monument joins statues of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and a name rendered in the program as Chick Kern; speakers also invoked broadcaster Chick Hearn during remarks.
Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson praise Riley
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss called Riley a "guardian angel for the franchise, " and Earvin "Magic" Johnson labeled him the "greatest in-game adjustment coach we’ve ever seen, " thanking Riley for pushing teammates to higher levels. Shaquille O'Neal, who did not attend the ceremony, 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 the Hall of Famer "changed the game by building culture. "
Showtime legacy and coaching résumé
Organizers and speakers underscored Riley’s impact on the 1980s "Showtime" Lakers and across the league. Riley guided Los Angeles to four NBA championships as a head coach and later delivered Miami’s first NBA title, totaling five championships as a head coach. The ceremony noted he led the Lakers to four championships from 1982 to 1988 as a head coach and that he remains active in the league at age 80, serving as president of the Heat.
Riley’s formal honors were listed during the event: three Coach of the Year awards with three different franchises — the Lakers (1989-90), New York Knicks (1992-93) and Heat (1996-97) — and 11 Coach of the Month honors earned between 1983 and 2006. His teams reached 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, Riley summed up his standard: "It’s not about mediocre. It’s about excellence. "
Riley reflects on Heat "Big 3" and LeBron James
On the same night, pat riley spoke at a Los Angeles news conference about the Miami Heat period that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He said that assembling the Big 3 felt like the foundation of a possible dynasty: four straight trips to the NBA Finals and two world championships in that span. Riley said he saw something that could have lasted "eight to 10 years" and expressed the wish that he had LeBron for "another six or eight years. "
Riley acknowledged LeBron James’ decision to return to Cleveland after the four-year run and said he "understood, " noting the business realities of the NBA and that James went on to win a title in Cleveland — the franchise’s first championship. Riley spoke with the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang during the interview in Los Angeles.
Chris Bosh took offense when James left the Heat, Riley said. Riley also reflected on the on-court results: "Four trips to the Finals in a row, two world championships. It was an incredible run, " he added. LeBron later won his fourth title and his first with the Lakers in 2020, a fact Riley referenced in context of the broader conversation.
When James’ time with the Heat was relayed to him at the arena, LeBron described the situation in his own words: he had not promised to stay four years and called the sequence of events "how the cards were played, " while conceding it is human to wonder what might have been after a run that produced two championships and two losses in the Finals.
Game night notes and related Heat items
The Lakers lost to the Celtics 111-89 on Sunday, the same night as the statue unveiling. The broader Heat conversation included tangential developments: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra publicly defended Myron Gardner after a $35, 000 fine, and the statuses of Davion Mitchell and Nikola Jovic for an upcoming game against the Milwaukee Bucks were in question amid a doctor visit.
The ceremony and Riley’s reflections tied franchise commemoration to personal reflection on the arc of his career — from four Lakers titles in the 1980s to a championship in Miami and enduring executive influence as Heat president.
