There is no better night to celebrate the Lakers’ history than one where they are set to face off against their arch-rivals, the Celtics. Tonight, the Lakers unveiled a bronze statue of their legendary head coach, Pat Riley, outside the Crypto.com Arena, making him the eighth person to have a statue outside the storied franchise’s iconic home arena.
A Lakers icon forever enshrined. Congrats, Coach 💛 pic.twitter.com/pn8bGJtAs1
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 22, 2026
They organized a ceremony outside the arena, attended by legendary NBA players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Dwyane Wade. During the ceremony, the 80-year-old head coach addressed the audience and also spoke to them after the game. Here’s an excerpt of the things he said after his statue was unveiled.
“When I was told that the kid from Schenectady, New York, would be honored here in the plaza of stars, the plaza of legends, I fell to my knees, humbled and sobbed. Tears of joy and gratitude,” said Riley during the ceremony.
“I want to thank all of you. Significance doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from adversity, from discipline, from refusing to be ordinary. One day, we look back with the incredible pride and gratitude to have been part of something truly special,” Riley further added.
“That statue right there, that they’re going to unveil today, that statue is loaded up with all of us who took that magical journey. So with that said, as my father’s words to me, they ring out loud and clear today. The time has come to kick some a**… to kick some Boston a**,” concluded the legendary head coach.
After the statue was unveiled, Riley also spoke to Chris McGee from Spectrum SportsNet and revealed how overwhelmed he had been since finding out about the statue.
“The talent was obvious. In my career, I have coached and played with over 30 Hall of Famers, and I rode in here on the shoulders of giants. They just planted me right there. That team was talented, they were tough, they were together, and they had a goal to win every year.”
“And when we didn’t win every year, it motivated them to come back harder the next year. That decade, or nine trips to the Finals over 12 years, seven in nine during my coaching career… We did nothing but fill up the floor with happiness, joy, and spirit.”
The legendary head coach raved about the relationships and bond he had built with the team over the years and how happy he was to see legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning also attending the ceremony.
Riley’s statue is placed between Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson’s outside the Crypto.com arena. It is nearly eight feet tall and weighs approximately 510 lbs.
He has been depicted in a Giorgio Armani-tailored suit with his 1985 championship ring, doing the hand signal (raised fist) for the Showtime team to know that Magic Johnson needs to pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the skyhook. It was specially designed and created by artists Omri Amrany and Sean Bell of Rotblatt Amrany Studio.
At the bottom of the statue are the statistics of his achievements with not just the Lakers but the entire league: 24 head coaching seasons (nine of which were for the Lakers), 1381 regular season and playoff wins, and winning nine championships over those years with the Lakers and Heat combined. Truly a legend in the history books of both franchises.
Even Jeanie Buss, the governor of the Lakers, who was about 17 years old when her father bought the team in 1979, was fondly attached to Riley over the years. She raved about him during and after the ceremony as well.
“Pat really was a guardian angel for this franchise, its employees and, most important, its fans across the world. In 1981, my father made Pat the team’s head coach, and Pat soon became the epitome of an era, the stylish leader of the all-conquering Showtime Lakers.”
“Now, generations of Angelenos will be able to gather here to learn of his achievements and to understand his central role in the history of our team and our city,” said Buss during the ceremony.
After the ceremony, the Lakers’ governor thanked the Heat for their cooperation in organizing the ceremony, keeping their competitive element aside to honor their mutual love and respect for Riley’s legacy and impact on the league.
“My dad was a new owner; he and Pat got along really well. It was a huge decision to put him in charge; it was always difficult to let one coach go and bring on another coach… My dad empowered Pat to execute his vision for the team, and the rest is history,” concluded Buss.
The Lakers’ governor also revealed that they had brought Riley into the loop to take his input on how he wants the statue to depict his legacy. It is inscribed with a quote that reads:
“There will come a time when you are challenged, and when that time comes, you must plant your feet. You must stand firm. You must make a point. About who you are, what you do, and where you come from. When that time comes, you do it.”
It is concluded with a quote from the Bible’s New Testament, Mark 3:25, “A house divided against itself will not stand.”
The Lakers legend gave almost his entire life to the league, with his entire work experience amounting to over 50 years in the NBA. He deserves every bit of the recognition that the franchise gave him today, honoring a legacy for future generations to learn from.
