Pat Riley Statue Unveiled by Lakers in Video, Photo, Legend Won 5 NBA Titles With LAL
The Los Angeles Lakers revealed their statue honoring former head coach and NBA legend Pat Riley on Sunday.
Here's a look at the new statue:
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The stars were certainly out in full force for the unveiling, as was a contingent from the Miami Heat:
Riley, 80, spent nine seasons as the head coach of the organization (1981-82 to 1989-90), leading the famed Showtime Lakers to four titles and seven trips to the NBA Finals. He was 533-194 overall with the franchise before head-coaching stints for the New York Knicks and Miami Heat and his longtime role as team president in Miami.
He also won one title with the team as a player.
He is the first coach in Lakers' history to be immortalized with a statue, joining longtime announcer Chick Hearn and players Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and Shaquille O'Neal.
It was only fitting that Sunday's unveiling would come before a matchup against the Lakers' biggest rival during Riley's tenure, the Boston Celtics. The team faced each other three times in the NBA Finals while he was head coach, with the Lakers holding the 2-1 edge.
"The time has come to kick some ass—to kick some Boston ass," Riley noted at the unveiling, ending his speech with a sentiment that is essentially an organizational ethos in Los Angeles.
