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Let’s put things in context to understand what Pat Riley really means to NBA basketball. The Heat owner has been an important figure in almost 25% of all NBA Finals appearances, whether it has been as an executive, a player, or a coach. None can refute his influence on Miami’s evolution, but his time in Los Angeles is also unparalleled.
The Hall of Famer was recently asked which one of his numerous teams was the best he ever participated in, including the Showtime Lakers, a legendary team led by Magic Johnson. Another incredible squad was Miami’s Big Three with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, which also won a championship together.
“Your Heat vs. your Lakers at their peak, who wins?” a fan asked Pat during an interview on The OGs Show, which is the podcast hosted by Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. “I’ll be very honest with you,” he replied. “I think the ‘Showtime’ team of Scott, Cooper, Magic, Worthy, and Kareem. Those five guys.”
Pat Riley on a hypothetical matchup between his Heat vs. his Lakers 👀
The OGs x Pat Riley out now here: https://t.co/5RTdHu0N7G pic.twitter.com/3RmMp8UrEU
— The OGs Show (@theOGsShow) November 26, 2024
Riley was of course talking about the legendary Los Angeles squad that dominated the 80s and conquered four titles plus three additional Finals appearances. Players like Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, James Worthy and of course Magic, contributed to that purple and gold success.
“It would be hard for any other five to beat them. I say this because of the greatness of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” explained the ex-Lakers tactician, who then explained into what made the legendary center so impressive, saying, “He was the one guy you could not guard. You could double him, but you could not stop him.”
Finally, the Heat owner imagined how his historic matchup would hypothetically unfold, with Riley admitting that it would be a very close battle between them. “It’d be a great series and I’d go seven with it. Whoever’s got the home-court advantage would probably win.”
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recently praised him after announcing the club would build a statue for him. “Pat is a Lakers icon,” she expressed. “His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team.”
Riley recently admitted that he ‘can’t believe’ that the Lakers are planning on building a statue in his honor outside of the Crypto.com Arena
To honor his legacy, the purple and gold franchise have decided to build a statue for Riley outside the Crypto.com Arena. “One of the greatest coaches of all time. The Lakers are proud to announce Pat Riley’s legacy will be cemented and his statue will find a home on Star Plaza,” the L.A. club first revealed on their social media two weeks ago.
However, it wasn’t until days later that we finally saw a clip of Pat’s reaction, just as Magic Johnson was delivering the news to his former coach. In the video, Riley holds his face in disbelief: “I’m just a kid from Schenectady, New York, and here I am going to have a statue with the Lakers… I can’t believe it.”
Moments later, the Hall of Famer posted his own statement through the Heat’s social media accounts. “One of my first messages to the team was ‘The journey of a thousand miles starts with our first step. Where it takes you, is up to us.’ And it took us to five championships in the 80’s with the Showtime Lakers,” Riley wrote.
“It was a hell of a journey and the fact that it’s ending up with the arrival of a statue is mind-blowing to me. I’d like to thank Jeanie and the entire Buss family for this honor,” he concluded.
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