Before Coaching, He Was an NBA Player for a Decade, Spending Five Seasons With the Lakers and Winning a Championship
Showtime-era coach Pat Riley will soon join the ranks of Lakers legends immortalized in bronze outside Crypto.com Arena. The team announced Monday that Riley, who led the Lakers to four NBA championships in the 1980s, will be the next figure honored with a statue on Star Plaza, as reported by The Los Angeles Times.
“Pat is a Lakers icon,” said Jeanie Buss, the team’s controlling owner, in a statement, as reported by The Times. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft, and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today.” Buss also credited her late father, Jerry Buss, for recognizing Riley’s ability to mold talented players into a cohesive, championship-winning team.
Riley’s storied Lakers tenure began as an assistant coach in 1979-80. After Paul Westhead’s dismissal early in the 1981-82 season, Riley took over as head coach, guiding the Lakers to NBA titles in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Known for his impeccable style—marked by slicked-back hair and Armani suits—Riley became synonymous with the team’s up-tempo “Showtime” brand of basketball.
Before coaching, Riley was an NBA player for a decade, spending five seasons with the Lakers and winning a championship in 1972. He later earned another title as head coach and team president of the Miami Heat in 2006 and oversaw additional championships in 2013 and 2014 as Heat team president.
Riley’s statue, set for completion in 2026, will join those of Lakers greats Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Chick Hearn, Kobe Bryant, and Elgin Baylor, cementing his legacy within Lakers lore.