In the overall NBA landscape, there are not many figures who have had a bigger impact than former Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat coach Pat Riley. While he may be known to most for his work as the head coach and president of the Heat, Riley also left behind a befitting legacy with the Lakers.
That, led to the Showtime immortalizing his legacy by unveiling a statue outside the Crypto.com arena, with the now 80-year-old himself attending the event alongside a range of prominent figures from the Lakers’ past, including Magic Johnson, per a post on X by Heat Culture.
🚨 PAT RILEY STATUE REVEAL 🚨 pic.twitter.com/IIDuJqgNTn
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 22, 2026
Riley’s nine-year head coaching run with the Lakers from 1981 to 1990 produced a staggering 533–194 record (.733 win percentage), four NBA championships, and seven Finals appearances. More importantly, he served as the architect of the Showtime Lakers, a dynasty built around superstars such as Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The statue makes Riley the first coach in Lakers history to receive such recognition, joining icons like Magic himself, Kobe Bryant, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, and legendary broadcaster Chick Hearn. While Showtime is often remembered for its highlight offense, Riley also emphasized physicality and defensive discipline, popularizing principles such as the 1-3-1 half-court trap and reinforcing his famous championship mantra that rebounding and defensive commitment drive titles, the same system that he brought forth to the Heat as well.
Glad the Lakers put up a statue of their greatest coach [squints] Nic Cage
— Robby Kalland (@rkalland.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T21:55:05.053Z
His Lakers teams reached four consecutive Finals and produced one of the greatest single-season teams ever in 1987, finishing 65–17 before defeating Boston for the championship. Riley also delivered on one of the NBA’s most iconic guarantees, promising a repeat title in 1988 and becoming the first team in nearly two decades to successfully defend a championship.
Across his coaching career, Riley accumulated five championships as a head coach, produced 17 seasons of 50-plus wins, seven 60-win campaigns, and earned Coach of the Year honors with three different franchises, the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat.
