Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick described Pat Riley as the guiding example for the coaching profession while speaking to reporters ahead of Riley’s statue unveiling outside Crypto.com Arena. The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
“I grew up watching those 1990s Knicks and Heat teams, seeing how physical and tough-minded they were,” Redick said. “What he accomplished with the Lakers—nearly a decade in one place and multiple championships—is the north star for any coach.”
Riley led the Lakers to four NBA titles during the Showtime era before later steering the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. His tenure in Miami has produced what Redick called “a sustainable level of consistency” that coaches around the league try to emulate.
Redick, hired last offseason despite a lack of previous bench experience, acknowledged that he faced Riley’s Heat while playing for Orlando and has long admired Riley’s approach. “The word ‘culture’ gets overused, but Miami’s consistency since he arrived speaks for itself,” he noted.
The first-year coach has guided Los Angeles into playoff contention, yet emphasized that championships remain the franchise’s ultimate standard, just as they were under Riley. With the regular season entering its post-All-Star sprint, Redick outlined the need for focus and health as key factors in the Lakers’ push for postseason positioning.
Riley’s statue will join the organization’s other tributes to its storied past, honoring a coach whose legacy Redick and his peers continue to chase.
Source: LakersNation.com
