Lakers to Unveil Pat Riley Statue During Feb. 22 Game Against Celtics
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The Los Angeles Lakers plan to dedicate a statue to Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley on Feb. 22, the night the team hosts the Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena.
Riley, 80, spent more than five seasons as a player with the Lakers during his nine-year NBA career, capturing a championship in 1971-72 with a squad that set a league-record 33-game winning streak. After retiring as a player, he moved into the broadcast booth and later joined the coaching staff, taking over as head coach early in the 1981-82 season.
Across nine years on the Los Angeles sideline, Riley steered the “Showtime” era to four championships and seven NBA Finals appearances. His teams won at least 50 regular-season games each season, topping 60 victories five times, and he compiled a 533-194 regular-season record (.733) and a 102-47 playoff mark (.685).
Riley has served as Miami’s president and top basketball executive for the past three decades, adding another championship as the Heat’s head coach in 2006. The forthcoming tribute will make him the eighth Lakers figure honored with a statue outside the downtown arena.
Source: Hoops Wire
