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As the Los Angeles Lakers honored Pat Riley with a statue unveiling outside Crypto.com Arena, one of the most notable reactions came from LeBron James.
James, who won two championships under Riley with the Miami Heat, made sure to catch part of the ceremony during halftime of the Lakers’ matchup against the Boston Celtics.
Speaking afterward, James made it clear that whatever speculation has existed about their relationship, his respect for Riley has never wavered.
“Absolutely. I got out there for a little bit and sat on the bench during half-time,” James said. “That’s one of the all-time greats since he’s been a part of this league, as a player, as a coach, executive, front office, everything. Obviously, what he did here for the Lakers organization in the 1980’s, it goes without saying and rightfully so with him having a statue outside this building. I spent four years with him. I’ve got the upmost respect for him and for his family and everything. So, it’s pretty cool.”
Riley’s statue honors his run as head coach of the Lakers during the iconic Showtime era, when he guided the franchise to four championships and seven Finals appearances.
Reflecting on his decision to join the Heat in 2010, James explained how Riley and the organization aligned with his mindset at a pivotal moment in his career.
“I think it’s just the whole Heat organization,” James noted. “I went down there with the only goal, only mindset that I had was to win a championship. I felt like I couldn’t do it at my first stint in Cleveland, tried, just didn’t feel like it would be possible. So I needed to figure out my own path and conquer some goals that I had. I feel like going there, they had did it in ’06 so not even four years removed or whatever the case may be, and they had a couple of down years after that. So I feel like I know how to play the game and I felt like they could possibly put me in a position where I could achieve the goals that I had, and I was able to accomplish that.”
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