Lakers to honor former coach Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena
The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coach Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coach Pat Riley with a statue outside their downtown arena.
The Lakers announced Monday that they have commissioned a statue to stand in 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 an assistant coach.
The 79-year-old Riley has been part of the Miami Heat as a coach and executive for the past three decades, but his NBA roots are planted firmly with the Lakers. He played for Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975, and he was a team broadcaster 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 roster with a groundbreaking fast-break offense, the Lakers went 533-194 (.733) in Riley's tenure and added 102 playoff victories over nine mostly outstanding seasons.
