By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled an eight-foot bronze statue of Pat Riley on Sunday, just hours before their game against the Boston Celtics.
The sculpture, placed outside Crypto.com Arena, captures Riley pacing the sideline in one of his trademark Giorgio Armani suits, raising a fist to call a play.
“I think when fans look over at the sidelines they want to see someone that looks like a leader,” Riley told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne during the ceremony, advocating for the return of a suits dress code for coaches.
The statue joins tributes to Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
Riley won four NBA championships as Lakers head coach in the 1980s and later added another title with the Miami Heat in 2006.