Lakers Unveil Pat Riley Statue: Who’s the Greatest Coach in Lakers History—Riley or Phil Jackson?

Today, the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue honoring legendary coach Pat Riley, drawing congratulations from basketball media across the globe. Riley coached the Lakers for nine years, creating the iconic “Showtime” era, winning four NBA championships, and mentoring stars like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Today, he stands alongside Phil “Zen Master” Jackson as one of the greatest coaches in Lakers history.

Riley’s playing career saw him with the Rockets, Lakers, and Suns, winning an NBA title with the Lakers in 1972. After retiring, he worked as a Lakers TV commentator for two years. In 1979, when head coach Jack McKinney suffered a severe accident, assistant Paul Westhead took over and promoted Riley to assistant coach. Westhead led the Lakers to the 1980 championship.

In 1981, tensions between Magic Johnson and Westhead led Lakers owner Jerry Buss to fire Westhead, initially naming Jerry West as a coaching candidate. West hesitated, and Riley, only 36 and just two and a half years into his assistant role, was promoted to head coach.

Riley’s Lakers hit the ground running, capturing championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Not only did they dominate rivals Boston Celtics, but they also defeated them in the 1985 and 1987 Finals, reversing a historic playoff disadvantage.

In the 1989-90 season, Riley led a post-Kareem Lakers team to a league-best 63-19 record, earning Coach of the Year honors. Showtime Lakers dazzled opponents with fluid offense and a relentless 1-3-1 defense.

At the 1987 championship celebration, Riley boldly predicted a 1988 title—which came true. During the 1988 ceremony, players prevented him from proclaiming a three-peat, and the Lakers would only achieve that under Phil Jackson.

After leaving the Lakers, Riley went to the Knicks, often overshadowed by Jordan’s Bulls. He reached the 1993-94 Finals but lost to Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets. Following management disputes, he joined the Miami Heat, mentoring Jeff Van Gundy as coach. In 2003, Riley signed Dwyane Wade, propelling the Heat back to prominence. In 2005-06, he replaced Stan Van Gundy midseason, leading Miami to a 4-2 Finals victory over the Mavericks, with Wade earning Finals MVP. In 2010, Riley assembled the “Big Three” of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Wade, reaching four consecutive Finals and winning two titles. In 2019, he led Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo from a play-in team to the Finals twice.

Though sometimes ruthless with stars, Riley’s decisions proved right. Wade said, “Pat Riley changed my life—his legend is eternal.”
As a head coach, Riley won five championships; as GM/President, two more; plus one as a player—a total of eight NBA titles. Three-time Coach of the Year, one of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Top 15 coaches, and 2010-11 Executive of the Year, Riley is a true legend both on the bench and in the front office.