Pat Riley reveals one wish for current NBA coaches at statue unveiling



When it comes to the gold standard of NBA coaches, not many names except that of Pat Riley. Despite winning five championships as a head coach, twice as an executive, once as a player and once as an assistant coach, his titles paint only part of the picture in his career with the Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.

appropriate, Showtime recently unveiled a statue to commemorate his legacyand Riley was asked a simple question about current NBA coaches.

The Miami Heat president said he would like current NBA coaches to “go back to coats and ties” when asked if he would still wear Armani suits. if he trained todayaccording to a post on Ks by journalist Khobi Price. And well, no surprises as far as that answer is concerned.

Riley, now 80 and still serving as president of the Miami Heat, becomes the first coach in Los Angeles Lakers history to receive the statue, joining names like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West and Chick Hearn. With the Lakers, Riley reached seven NBA Finals during his nine-season tenure from 1981-1990.

However, that is only a small part of his legacy. During his career as a player, assistant coach, head coach and executive, he owns nine championship rings, including a 1972 title as a Lakers player, multiple titles as a Showtime architect, the Miami Heat’s 2006 championship run as a head coach, and executive titles during Miami’s first three seasons in 202 and 2011. the premier North American sports figure to win championships in all four of those roles.

A Hall of Famer since 2008, Riley is often considered the “Godfather” of the NBA, and there was never any doubt that he would still be wearing Armani suits if he were coaching in the best basketball league in the world.





2026-02-22 23:35:00

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