Lakers to honor former coach Pat Riley with statue outside stadium

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coach Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown stadium.

The Lakers announced Monday that they have commissioned a statue at Star Plaza immortalizing the coach who won four championships with the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s. Riley also won championship rings with the Lakers as a player and assistant coach.

Riley, 79, has been a part of the Miami Heat as a coach and executive for the past three decades, but his NBA roots are firmly planted with the Lakers. He played for Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975 and was a team announcer before becoming Paul Westhead’s assistant in 1979.

He took over as head coach in 1981 and led the Lakers through one of the most dynamic eras for any team in NBA history. With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading an exciting team with an innovative fast-break offense, the Lakers went 533-194 (.733) during Riley’s tenure and totaled 102 playoff wins in nine mostly outstanding seasons.

“Pat is a Lakers icon,” Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see in the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and merge them into a championship team. The style of basketball of Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s remain the model of the current organization: an entertaining and winning team.

Current Lakers coach JJ Redick, whom some within the organization have compared to Riley for his intensity and sharp presentation, praised the decision Monday.

“Deserved,” Redick said, adding that he watched the Hulu documentary “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers,” which features interviews with Riley, as part of his preparation for the season. “He’s a legend in basketball. And he obviously did a lot for this franchise… So I’m very happy for him. Well deserved.”

Riley will become the eighth Lakers luminary to be honored with a statue at Star Plaza, which has become a popular tourist attraction. The others are Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Riley went on to coach the New York Knicks for four seasons before becoming president and coach of the Heat in 1995. He has remained president of Miami since then and won another NBA title in 2006 during his two stints as head coach of the Heat.