Lakers coaching legend Pat Riley gets his statue in LA

LOS ANGELES — Before he was the architect of the Miami Heat's impressive franchise culture, before he coached the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Pat Riley was a Lakers legend.

The slicked-back hair and impeccable Georgio Armani suits — which actor Michael Douglas admitted inspired the look for his Gordon Gekko character in "Wall Street" — the highlight-filled Showtime offense led by Magic Johnson, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the paint hitting skyhooks, and Pat Riley as the architect of all of it.

With his design came four NBA titles and seven trips to the NBA Finals while he was the Lakers coach. Which is why on Sunday, he got a statue out in front of the Lakers' home, Crypto.com Arena.

"The time has gone so fast," Riley said. "I feel like everything I've ever done, I've been blessed. I was surrounded by greatness."

"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," said Lakers governor Jeanie Buss. "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."

The statue strikes a familiar pose to any fan of the Showtime era, Riley with his fist raised to the air, a pose he often struck after Magic found Kareem for a skyhook bucket.

"Significance doesn't come from comfort. It comes from adversity, from discipline, from refusing to be ordinary," Riley said. "One day we look back with the incredible pride and gratitude to have been part of something truly special. That statue right there is loaded up with all of us who took this magical journey."

Riley getting a statue brought out the stars: Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes, Bob McAdoo, Norm Nixon, Byron Scott, and famed Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, just to name a few.

Magic took the mic and told stories of the glory days, including the time Riley came to him and asked him to score more, and Magic replied, "Did you ask Kareem?" Nobody laughed harder at that than Abdul-Jabbar.

The inscription on the base of the statue was a Riley quote, advice he attributed to his father: "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."

There are now eight Lakers honored with statues outside the arena: Kobe Bryant, Abdul-Jabbar, Magic, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn.

The statue was designed and created by Omri Amrany and Sean Bell of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, the studio that also created statues honoring Bryant, Hearn, Abdul-Jabbar, O'Neal and others.