LA Lakers To Unveil Statue Of Hall Of Fame Coach Pat Riley
The Lakers won at least 50 games in each of his nine seasons as coach and they won at least 60 games in five straight seasons. He was named NBA Coach of the Year with the Lakers in 1989-90.
He played for Los Angeles from 1970 to 1975, and was a team broadcaster before becoming Paul Westhead's assistant in 1979. Riley was part of the 1971=72 team that won a league-record 33 straight games and won the NBA championship.
The 80-year-old Riley also coached the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat. He won another championship as coach with the Heat in 2006 and now serves as their team president.
Just last season, the Heat named the court in their downtown arena after Riley in a ceremony attended by many of his former players.
Riley will become the eighth Lakers luminary to be honored with a statue in Star Plaza, which has become a popular tourist attraction for fans of the globally popular franchise. The others are Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Bryant, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal and broadcaster Chick Hearn.
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