MIAMI — Two weeks before the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, the franchise announced that a statue will be built in honor of an individual who has made significant contributions to both organizations.
The Lakers commissioned a statue of Pat Riley to join the other Lakers legends in Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, with the statue set to be completed in 2026.
Riley won six NBA championships with the Lakers: four as their head coach (1982, ’85, ’87, ’88), one as an assistant coach (’80) and one as a player (1972).
After coaching the New York Knicks for four seasons from 1991-1995, the 79-year-old Riley has been part of the Heat organization as a coach and executive for the past three decades.
He became the franchise’s team president and coach in 1995 and has remained the Heat president since. The Heat won an NBA title in 2006 during Riley’s second stint as the team’s coach, won the 2012 and ’13 titles with Riley as the lead executive and made NBA Finals appearances in 2011, 2014 and 2020.
“He is still every bit the force of nature that he was when he first got here in ’95,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said before Wednesday’s game. “And he’s an iconic figure. That saying that he used to say, I always apply it to him. ‘You don’t want to be the best of what you do. You want to be the only one that is able to do what you do.’ And Pat epitomizes that.”
Spoelstra continued: “He’s the one that turned head coaching into a CEO position. All of us can try to do that. None of us can. He transcended, just head coaching. He was the best head coach, the best CEO, the best manager. He should be absolutely acknowledged in the Hall of Fame again for his contributions as a president. Those are probably arguably just as as great as what he’s done here as a head coach.”
Spoelstra also spoke about Lakers star LeBron James, who played for the Heat under Spoelstra from 2010-14.
The Heat coach was an assistant coach for the James-led Team USA squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.
James, who is playing in his 22nd NBA season, went into Wednesday’s game averaging 22 points, 9.1 assists and 8 rebounds.
“I can’t even say it’s a surprise because he was so detailed at 26,” Spoelstra said. “That doesn’t change as you get older. The details of winning matter to him. I just wish that I could have had all of our young players watch him in the team meetings. Every locker room and film session, and every franchise is probably saying the same thing, ‘Hey, you need to communicate. You need to be present in these sessions.’ And LeBron is not fatigued at all in terms of preparation and being involved in all of that, noticing things on film and being an active participant in that.”
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INJURY UPDATE
Austin Reaves missed his third consecutive game on Wednesday because of a bruised left pelvis that he suffered in last Friday’s home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Reaves was listed as questionable ahead of the game against Miami before being ruled out earlier in the day.
“We hope so,” Lakers coach JJ Redick responded when asked if Reaves was close to returning. “I have no idea. Other than day to day.”
SCHEDULE UPDATE
As one of the 22 teams that didn’t qualify for the NBA Cup’s knockout rounds, the Lakers were assigned two regular-season games: They will play at the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Dec. 13 at 5 p.m. PT and will host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena.