The Los Angeles Lakers announced their plans to unveil a Pat Riley statue on Monday, joining legends Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and others on Star Plaza. It’s been a fun week to be a fan of the purple-and-gold; amid a five-game winning streak, the Lakers beat the Pelicans 104-99 to improve to 9-4. The organization will also give the Hall of Fame head coach his appropriate flowers to cement his legacy in Los Angeles, but no date for the ceremony has been set, per Marc Stein’s X, formerly Twitter.
Lakers president Jeanie Buss addressed Riley via the official press release.
“Pat is a Lakers icon,” said Jeanie Buss. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft, and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team.”
Riley is the eighth icon to be commemorated on Star Plaza, joining Chick Hearn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor. Pat earned his first championship as a player in 1972 before leading the showtime Lakers to five championships, four (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) as head coach, and one as an assistant coach (1980) throughout the 1980s.
Lakers announce Pat Riley statue on Star Plaza
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After the Miami Heat dedicated their home court to Pat Riley, the Los Angeles Lakers will commemorate one of the greatest head coaches in their franchise’s history. Riley, the Heat president and minority owner, is revered by Lakers fans for leading their team to five championships.
As part of the NBA’s greatest rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics, Riley earned respect as a former player turned assistant coach before taking the reigns in the early 80s. Kobe Bryant was the last statue the Lakers unveiled in 2024.
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