When the Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of Pat Riley outside Crypto.com Arena, one of the most notable reactions came from LeBron James.
James, who led the Miami Heat to two championships under Riley, made sure to watch part of the ceremony at halftime of the Lakers' game against the Boston Celtics.
Speaking after the game, James made it clear that his respect for Riley has never wavered, regardless of speculation about their relationship.
“Absolutely. I went out for a while at halftime and sat on the bench,” James said. “Ever since he's been in the league, whether it's as a player, coach, executive, front office, everything, he's been one of the all-time greats. Obviously, what he did for the Lakers in the 1980s speaks for itself, and it's a given that he has a statue outside of this building. I spent four years with him. I have the highest respect for him, his family and everything. So, that's pretty cool.”
Riley's statue commemorates his time as head coach of the Lakers during the iconic Showtime era, when he led the team to four championships and seven Finals appearances.
Looking back on his decision to join the Heat in 2010, James explained how Riley and the team aligned with his mindset during a crucial moment in his career.
“I think it's just a Heat issue as a whole,” James noted. “I went in there with the only goal, the only mentality, was to win a championship. I felt like I couldn't do it my first try in Cleveland, just felt like it was impossible. So I needed to find my own path and conquer some of my goals. I wanted to go there, and they did it in '06, so it wasn't even four years or whatever, and they had a few down years after that. So I felt like I knew how to play the game, and I felt like they might put me in a position where I could achieve my goals, and I was able to achieve that.”
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