Riley was one of the figures most commonly associated with L.A. until he moved on to other organizations, including the Miami Heat.

He coached the Heat for 11 seasons and has been a high-ranking executive there for 18 years. In that time, he’s added three NBA titles and four more Finals appearances. And perhaps one of his most defining features was that he did all of it while wearing an Armani suit for each and every game and public appearance.

Riley is one of the most well-known figures in basketball history, and comes from an era where suits were the norm for non-players. When speaking with the media after his statue unveiling, Riley was asked if he wishes coaches would wear suits again, and his answer shouldn’t surprise.

“It’s very simple. Some people like to wear Levi jeans and that’s it. T-shirts and whatever it is. But I met Mr. Armani in 1978 in Milan and he started to make some things for me at that time,” Riley began. “This was before I was even an assistant coach, I was working with Chick. We had a relationship for a long time, so my wife, she goes out and she shops and there’s a lot of new fashion and a lot of new trends and great things that are going on. But we’re up there in our 70s and 80s and so a lot of people are going back to vintage Armani, which are the 80s and 90s. And I didn’t have to go buy any. I just went right into my closet and pulled them out, recut them and they looked a little more contemporary.

“Everything I’m wearing today is Armani. And everything on my feet are black pad leather. You see out on that statue. They went out of business and sold to another company, and the owner called me and said ‘We sold the business, we’re not going to be making that shoe anymore.’ Then I ordered 20 pairs of each color and I still have a bunch of them left in my closet.

“I never changed much. I think what a coach should wear, I think they should go back to coaching in ties. I think an audience wants to see somebody on the sidelines who looks like a leader, dresses like a leader and acts like a leader. It’s OK to get little bit crazy whether it’s Armani or a jumpsuit doesn’t make a difference. There’s a casualness about it that I think the fans back in the 80s sort of expected that, and it was OK for me to give it to them.”

Riley has been extremely consistent in who he is and what he values over his time becoming an NBA legend. There’s a reason that success has followed him to each destination, and why the Heat have been a model of consistency in his decades there.

Suits likely aren’t coming back to sidelines any time soon, but that won’t stop Riley from trying.

Lakers’ James Worthy rips effort vs. Celtics

Another Lakers legend that made a fairly public statement was studio analyst — and former player for Riley — James Worthy. He spoke after the Lakers were handed a blowout loss by the Boston Celtics, saying that the team’s effort against a bitter rival was nowhere near up to the purple and gold standard.

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Even before he was hired, there were rumors that the Lakers saw a bit of Riley in Redick. And some former players have compared the young coach to the legendary Lakers coach who won five championships with the organization as a player and coach, most notably taking over the ‘Showtime’ Lakers led by Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

The Lakers recently paid homage to Riley, unveiling his statue outside Crypto.com Arena prior to their contest against the always hated Boston Celtics. And Riley, who still serves as President of the Miami Heat, spoke very highly of Redick and believes the Lakers hired the right person for the job.

“I love JJ. I really do,” Riley said. “I competed against him, my teams competed against him on various teams that he played with. He’s a fiery guy, could shoot the hell out of the ball, he was tough as nails. Sometimes I look back and I remember myself at that time and I look at JJ and I think they picked the right person.

“There’s just a quality about him I think that goes above and beyond and they have a hell of a team for him right here, right now with Doncic and Reaves and obviously LeBron. I think Rob will continue along with the new ownership to build that team and complement those players. But they have a great opportunity and I think JJ will be a great coach for them.”

It makes sense that Riley might see a little bit of himself in Redick as both were successful role players who moved into coaching and kept that same fiery attitude, not being afraid to call out players regardless of their superstar status.

Obviously Redick has a long ways to go in order to reach anywhere close to the heights that Riley did as a coach, but he certainly has the right mindset, work ethic and demeanor to go very far. And the fact that Riley himself feels the Lakers have the right guy should inspire a lot of confidence in his abilities.

Lakers’ JJ Redick: Pat Riley is the ‘north star’ for all coaches

JJ Redick also had a ton of praise for Pat Riley as the Lakers’ head coach fondly remembered watching Riley-coached teams growing up and still feels he is the ‘north star’ for all coaches wanting great success in one place.

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In the summer of 2010, James would join the Miami Heat, where Riley still serves as team President, and they went on to win two NBA Championships in four seasons.

It is believed by many that LeBron and Riley weren’t on the greatest of terms when the former left the Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. But whether or not that is true, James still made sure to catch some of the ceremony honoring Riley at halftime of the Lakers’ contest against the Boston Celtics and made it clear that he holds nothing but respect to the legendary coach and executive who got a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena.

“Absolutely. I got out there for a little bit and sat on the bench during half-time,” LeBron said. “That’s one of the all-time greats since he’s been a part of this league, as a player, as a coach, executive, front office, everything. Obviously, what he did here for the Lakers organization in the 1980’s, it goes without saying and rightfully so with him having a statue outside this building. I spent four years with him. I’ve got the upmost respect for him and for his family and everything. So, it’s pretty cool.”

The Lakers unveiled Riley’s statue prior to Sunday’s contest, honoring him for his time with the franchise where he brought in four championships as the head coach during the famed ‘Showtime’ era. Of course, LeBron’s connection with Riley is through Miami and he is thankful for everything Riley and the Heat meant to him for his career.

“I think it’s just the whole Heat organization,” James noted. “I went down there with the only goal, only mindset that I had was to win a championship. I felt like I couldn’t do it at my first stint in Cleveland, tried, just didn’t feel like it would be possible. So I needed to figure out my own path and conquer some goals that I had. I feel like going there, they had did it in ’06 so not even four years removed or whatever the case may be, and they had a couple of down years after that. So I feel like I know how to play the game and I felt like they could possibly put me in a position where I could achieve the goals that I had, and I was able to accomplish that.”

Many feel that LeBron was at his peak when he was with the Heat and the fact that he was only there for four seasons still doesn’t feel right. And James himself admits that it is interesting to think about what could’ve been if he had stayed in Miami, but that also would have changed so much in his career.

“I never said that I’m going to go there for four years and then decide to go. That’s just how the cards were played,” LeBron added. “But yeah, it’s human nature to look back and say what could have been. But you know, that’s part of life. The four years we had were great. Obviously, we were able to pick up two championships. We lost two of them, unfortunately. But a lot of great memories [and] a lot of great times there. It would’ve been interesting to see what could have happened. I also wouldn’t have given myself another 12 years to be playing this game either. So that’s another story.”

Who knows if LeBron ever would have put on the purple and gold for the Lakers had he remained in Miami past 2014, but these are the questions we’ll never get answers to. Instead, James can just look back fondly on his time with Riley and the Heat, and continue to push himself to lead the Lakers to greatness in the present.

Luka Doncic feels chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves isn’t there yet

In order for the current Lakers to reach their potential, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves all must be on the same page and Doncic admitted that the chemistry between the trio isn’t quite where it needs to be just yet.

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Riley led the Lakers and its stars to four championships during his time as the head coach, helping turn the storied franchise into the NBA’s most popular team.

Riley went on to work for the New York Knicks and Miami Heat, but he’ll always be remembered for his contributions to the purple and gold. Lakers history can’t be told without Riley and the organization finally honored the legendary coach with his own statue in front of Crpyto.com Arena.

In fitting fashion, Riley’s statue was unveiled before L.A.’s game against their heated rivals the Boston Celtics.

The official unveiling of Pat Riley's statue, which was placed between Magic Johnson's and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's.

(via @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/OThmEfAsXT

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 22, 2026

First look at the #Lakers Pat Riley statue…

(via @melissarohlin) pic.twitter.com/O8tc0vn8jz

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) February 22, 2026

According to the Lakers, the nearly eight-foot-tall, 510-pound bronze statue immortalizes Riley, intentionally positioned on the plaza between Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Known for his polished demeanor and sideline style, Riley is depicted in his classic Giorgio Armani-tailored suit with a crocodile leather belt and his 1985 championship ring, with his right fist raised, his signature signal throughout the Showtime-era for Johnson to deliver a pass to Abdul-Jabbar for the legendary skyhook.

Under Pat Riley’s inscribed name, the base of the sculpture 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.”

Additionally, the sculpture base includes acknowledgements and commemorates Riley’s career with notable accolades as a player, coach and executive, including 24 head coaching seasons and 1,381 regular season and playoff wins, ranking him fifth all time. The right side of the base features bible verse Mark 3:25 – “A house divided against itself will not stand” – a reference Riley used with his Lakers Showtime team.

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.

Following the statue unveiling, Riley made a statement regarding the honor and what it means to him.

“I want to thank all of you,” said Pat Riley. “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. That statue right there is loaded up with all of us who took this magical journey.”

Riley became L.A.’s head coach during the 1981-81 season and immediately revamped the team’s offensive philosophy and play style. He had already seen success with the franchise as he won a championship in 1980 as an assistant coach and another in 1972 as a player.

However, under Riley’s leadership the Lakers won 50 games every season, including five campaigns winning 60 or more games. Riley’s final season coaching L.A. didn’t result in a title but he was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

Riley becomes the eighth figure in Lakers history to have a statue erected in his honor, but is the only coach on the list. Riley changed the franchise forever and rightfully deserves his place among the greats.

JJ Redick says Pat Riley is north star for all coaches

Pat Riley’s basketball acumen and ability to communicate made him a successful head coach wherever he went, becoming a model for modern NBA coaches like JJ Redick. In fact, Redick called Riley the north star for all coaches because of what he managed to accomplish during his career.

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Riley has the honor of being the first Lakers coach immortalized outside of Crypto.com Arena, joining the likes of fellow franchise legends like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

While Riley currently serves as the President of Basketball Operations for the Miami Heat, he is most known for his tenure as Los Angeles’ head coach in the 1980s. After Los Angeles won the 1980 NBA Championship, Riley was named the head coach weeks into the 1981-82 season after Jerry West turned down the job.

He established the “Showtime” Lakers play style that featured highlight-reel fast breaks and an up-tempo style that teams struggled to keep up with. Under Riley, the purple and gold captured four more NBA titles including a back-to-back feat in 1987 and 1988.

Following his career with the Lakers, Riley went on to coach the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. Riley won one more championship with the Heat in 2006, giving him five rings as a head coach and cementing his status as one of the greatest coaches to ever come through the NBA.

Aside from his basketball IQ and ability to communicate with players, Riley also made a name for himself with his styling choices. Riley became known for his slicked back hair and tailored suits, a fitting image for a head coach in Hollywood.

The Lakers are the gold standard when it comes to paying homage to its basketball legends, so it’ll be exciting to see Riley’s statue unveiled before the current team takes on one of his long-time rivals in the Boston Celtics.

Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy headlined the “Showtime” Lakers, but they also had several key role players on their championship teams. For example, Mychal Thompson was a member of those teams under Pat Riley and won two championships towards the ends of his career in the 1987 and 1988 seasons.

As someone who played for Riley, Thompson acknowledged he’s glad that his former head coach is finally being recognized with a statue. Riley is widely regarded as one of the best head coaches and executives in NBA history, so it’s only right that the Lakers franchise honors his legacy outside Crypto.com Arena.

How to watch Pat Riley statue unveiling

The Pat Riley statue unveiling ceremony will air live by the Lakers on their YouTube page, Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+ at 12:30 p.m PT.

Following the event, the full ceremony will be available for viewing on Lakers.com.

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