The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue of former coach Pat Riley on Feb. 22, because the Corridor of Famer joins the likes of former crew greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant in bronze exterior their downtown enviornment.
The Lakers will fittingly honor Riley towards their long-time rival, the Boston Celtics.
Riley coached the Lakers from from 1981 to 1990 in the course of the crew’s “Showtime” period and gained 4 NBA championships (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). He led the Lakers via some of the dynamic eras for any crew in NBA historical past. With Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar main an thrilling roster with a groundbreaking fast-break offense, the Lakers went 533-194 (.733) in Riley’s tenure and added 102 playoff victories over 9 seasons.
The Lakers gained not less than 50 video games in every of his 9 seasons as coach and so they gained not less than 60 video games in 5 straight seasons. He was named NBA Coach of the Yr with the Lakers in 1989-90.
He performed for Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975, and was a crew broadcaster earlier than changing into Paul Westhead’s assistant in 1979. Riley was a part of the 1971=72 crew that gained a league-record 33 straight video games and gained the NBA championship.
The 80-year-old Riley additionally coached the New York Knicks and the Miami Warmth. He gained one other championship as coach with the Warmth in 2006 and now serves as their crew president.
Simply final season, the Warmth named the court docket of their downtown enviornment after Riley in a ceremony attended by lots of his former gamers.
Riley will grow to be the eighth Lakers luminary to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza, which has grow to be a preferred vacationer attraction for followers of the globally in style franchise. The others are Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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