For Pat Riley, it was Showtime again on Sunday in Los Angeles. This time his own showtime, with his statue unveiled in front of the Lakers\u2019 Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
On an afternoon of celebrity that included actor Michael Douglas and singer Michael McDonald among those in attendance, Riley not only had those who were part of his Lakers\u2019 1980s championship coaching tenure in attendance, but also several from his Heat era, including Heat championship guard Dwyane Wade and Heat owner Micky Arison.<\/p>\n
Riley intertwined several elements of his Hall of Fame coaching career into his speech<\/a>, at one point thanking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but then also referencing how the lessons learned from his coaching tenure helped in guiding others, including Wade.<\/p>\n \u201cTo Dwayne Wade, not of the Lakers, but I put the DNA of the Lakers in him,\u201d Riley said in his comments. \u201cYou know, it just sort of comes with the program. And he came in as a rookie. He was raw. He was great. He was gifted. He was talented. He was cocky. He was true of himself. And I never saw a young man work harder than Dwayne Wade to become one of the greatest players ever.\u201d<\/p>\n Riley also spoke of how the trappings of that coaching start near Hollywood impacted who he has become and what he has become decades later.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been fast friends for a long time,\u201d he said of Doulgas. \u201cWhen he did invite me and (wife) Chris to come to Monaco and then also to Nice when he was shooting that movie, he had a rap party up in Venice and Kathleen Turner happened to be the actress in that movie. And he was playing along with Danny DeVito in that movie. And so during the rap party, I went over and I sat down in front of Danny DeVito and Mike, just to chat and have some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n And of McDonald, Riley said, \u201cI regularly go back and I can recall each championship in the one moment, the one play, the one shot, the one anything. I just remember that. And usually when I listen to the music, you know, of that time, Michael McDonald is here today. He married Chris and I again. He renewed our vows in Hawaii.\u201d<\/p>\n Riley also referenced the other statues in the arena plaza, including one of championship Lakers guard Magic Johnson.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was one of the very best of the best. I see him out here, Number 32, dribbling the ball and he\u2019s pointing to somebody,\u201d Riley said of Johnson\u2019s statue. \u201cAnd that was the communication he always had.\u201d<\/p>\n Along the way, Riley referenced the impact on coaching in his career.<\/p>\n Riley guided the Lakers from 1981 to 1990 as part of his Hall of Fame coaching career, with championships in 1982, \u201985, \u201987 and \u201988. The Lakers went 533-194 (.733) over Riley\u2019s tenure, winning at least 50 games in each of his nine seasons and at least 60 games in five straight seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cCoaching is to me,\u201d he said, \u201cis an interactive relationship whereby you get put in a place to get a result. I got put in a place without the experience. I was scared to death, but I was ready \u2013 didn\u2019t think I was ready, but I knew I was ready. I just felt it.<\/p>\n Heat\u2019s Herro content in reserve, \u2018It doesn\u2019t really feel like I\u2019m out of place\u2019 <\/a> ASK IRA: Will Myron Gardner spark the Heat, or get someone killed out there? <\/a> Winderman\u2019s view: Spoelstra maximizes toy chest in another Heat victory <\/a> Heat win third in a row, with Grizzlies seemingly without issue in taking the loss <\/a> The Heat\u2019s court already named in his honor, Pat Riley to get Lakers statue Sunday <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAnd so coaching being an interactive relationship whereby you get put in a place, you get hired, you grow into that place, and you need to get a result. And that result obviously is going to have to be winning, especially here in Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n And so he won in Los Angeles, won as coach of the New York Knicks, won as coach of the Heat, and in his ongoing role as Heat president.<\/p>\n The court at Kaseya Center now is named in his honor, with Arison giving the Lakers permission for the Riley statue, a sign that a Riley statue one day likely will be alongside the statue of Wade in front of the Heat\u2019s arena.<\/p>\n Sunday, it was about the Lakers and championships and memories now bronzed.<\/p>\n Riley, 80, joins Lakers statues honoring former Lakers players Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Shaquille O\u2019Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.<\/p>\n \u201cThat statue right there, the one they\u2019re going to unveil today, that statue right there is loaded up with all of us who took that magical journey,\u201d Riley said.<\/p>\nRelated Articles<\/h2>\n