Los Angeles Lakers Announced Unveiling Date For Pat Riley Star Plaza Statue

It was late last November that the team commissioned a statue of Pat Riley to join Lakers legends on Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena. While he was head coach of the team he earned a .733 winning percentage. Which is higher than the .676 winning percentage of the other favored former head coach Phil Jackson. But Riley accomplished so much more than a high winning percentage. And those accomplishments will be celebrated next year. The Los Angeles Lakers have announced the unveiling date for the Pat Riley Star Plaza Statue.

According to nba.com, the unveiling will take place on Feb. 22, 2026 when the Lakers play their long-time rival, the Boston Celtics. How appropriate since it’s hard not to think of all the great match-ups between former Celtics Larry Bird and former Laker Earvin “Magic” Johnson. When Riley coached the Lakers from 1981-1990, the Lakers – Celtics games were some of the greatest basketball games ever played, so intense was the rivalry.

However, Riley also coached some of the greatest basketball players to ever grace the court. Including, Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who together went on to win the 1980 NBA title. With Riley at the helm, Johnson as a rookie and Kareem the veteran they became the historic Showtime era. Adding to that mix were Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy and Vlade Divac.

Riley had a style that was cool and polished along with an innovative approach to coaching. He revolutionized the game with his approach to fast-break offense which was why the Lakers were such an exciting team to watch. The Lakers legacy came into existence thanks to his winning six total championships with the team – four as head coach (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), one as an assistant coach (1980) and one as a player (1972).

Los Angeles Lakers Announced Unveiling Date For Pat Riley Star Plaza Statue

Besides his (.733) record in the regular season he also had a 102-47 (.685) clip in the playoffs. In each of his nine seasons at the helm the Lakers won 50-plus games, including five campaigns of 60-plus. In his final season coaching the Lakers in 1989-90, Riley was named NBA Coach of the Year.

President of the Lakers Jeanie Buss commented on the contributions of Riley saying:

“Pat is a Lakers icon,” said Jeanie Buss. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team.”

Riley is the eighth Laker to be commemorated in Star Plaza. He joins Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West.

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