LOS ANGELES (KFI) — Lakers icon Pat Riley will take his place among franchise greats Sunday when his statue is unveiled at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena.
The ceremony is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., just hours before the Lakers face the Boston Celtics — a nod to the fierce rivalry Riley helped define during the 1980s.
Riley, now 80, coached the “Showtime” Lakers to four NBA championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He took over as head coach early in the 1981-82 season and led the team to seven NBA Finals appearances during his tenure.
Before coaching, Riley was a member of the Lakers’ 1971-72 championship team that set a then-record 33-game winning streak.
He later coached the New York Knicks to the 1994 NBA Finals and won a fifth NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006. Riley has served as the Heat’s team president since 2008.
He joins Lakers legends including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Kobe Bryant in being immortalized at Star Plaza.
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