Pat Riley wistful about LeBron, Heat days as Lakers honor him

If it feels like Pat Riley was with the Los Angeles Lakers a lifetime ago, it's because that's not so far-fetched. So for some, who know him more from his Miami Heat tenure that began 31 seasons ago, the details may be somewhat forgotten.

Riley left the Showtime sunshine in 1990 under some controversy to coach the New York Knicks, following more than 15 years with the Lakers over two different stints -- first as a player, and then as a broadcaster and assistant who was surprisingly elevated to head coach after star Magic Johnson helped push Paul Westhead aside. Then he turned the Knicks into the antithesis of the flashy Lakers, using brute force to reach an NBA Finals before fleeing New York for Miami via fax.

Pat Riley while coaching the Lakers:

— 5× NBA Champion
— 7x Finals appearances
— 8 straight 50+ win seasons
— 102 playoff wins
— NBA Coach of the Year (1989–90)
— 8x NBA All-Star Game head coach

Getting a statue today 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xnya4Yt7h7
— HeatMuse (@Heat_Muse) February 22, 2026

So yes, it was a long, long time ago that Riley was the coolest celebrity in all of Tinseltown, and yet his star still burns bright, as was evident again Sunday when the Lakers unveiled a statue of him, prior to facing the team he has always most despised, the Boston Celtics.

That statue has Riley in a familiar, triumphant pose, arm raised in the air as if Magic had just made another no-look pass or Kareem had sunk another sky hook.

The ceremony brought out the luminaries, including Magic (whom Riley always called "Buck"), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Riley's forever "Cap"), actor doppleganger and close friend Michael Douglas, and even Dwyane Wade, whose primary role in Laker land was beating them on Christmas Day games. Wade and Riley famously fell out in 2016, as Wade reluctantly left for the Chicago Bulls, but all was essentially repaired after Wade was traded back to Miami for the final stretch of his career. (Riley introduced Wade as Wade received a statue in front of Miami's Kaseya Center last year).

Also, How cool is Pat Riley up on stage with @MagicJohnson , @kaj33 , @DwyaneWade and Michael Douglas? pic.twitter.com/0SaXW5KhyT
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 22, 2026

While Riley has memories galore of his Lakers days, and shared many, and while he still has a house in nearby Malibu, it should be noted that he has now spent nearly twice as much time living primarily in Miami.

He stopped coaching the Heat in 2008, turning it over to Erik Spoelstra, who is now the longest-tenured coach in professional sports, showing the sagacity of that promotion -- but remains the Heat president and part of the decision-making group, trying to land one last elusive whale. He is nearly 81 years old, and yet still very much on the job, on the other coast, in an equally attractive locale.

And so he spoke a lot about the Heat, about Wade specifically (comparing him favorably to Michael Jordan and the late Laker legend Kobe Bryant) but also about LeBron James, the current Laker who won more championships in four seasons with the Heat (2) than he's won in eight with the Lakers (the only one coming against the Heat in 2020), and one more than James won in 11 seasons with Cleveland.

Until James went back to the Cavaliers in 2014.

Pat Riley reflects on his time with LeBron James in Miami and believes they could’ve had a 8-10 year title window 👀

“I thought when we got the Big Three, Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron, that we were building a dynasty. Four straight Finals, two championships… it was… pic.twitter.com/1ZUYGy1Pbd
— Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) February 22, 2026

James has never been far from Riley's mind. Riley would speak frequently, after James' departure, about what could have been. Their relationship has seemingly improved over the past decade, with each sharing kinder words about the other -- and James often quoting Riley without even realizing it, such as his fascination with the Riley phrase "keep the main thing the main thing." Riley, for his part, never stopped respecting James' gifts as a player.

“I thought when we got the Big Three, Dwyane, Chris Bosh, and especially LeBron, that we were building a dynasty. Four straight Finals, two championships… it was an incredible run… I truly believed it could’ve lasted 6–8, maybe even 10 years. But the NBA is a business. Players have the right to choose, and he went back to Cleveland and won a title. Selfishly? I wish I had him another 6-8 years would’ve been great. But we’ll never know, will we?”
Pat Riley

We didn't know in 2014 if we would see them hug again.

Yet there they were Sunday.

Pat x LeBron 🥹 pic.twitter.com/kOAMmGPvOh
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) February 23, 2026

We still will never know how much they could have accomplished if they had remained aligned after 2014, for the decade that followed. And deep down, James may regret the split, if winning was the ultimate goal, and not a legacy play in Cleveland, at least until Hollywood's business opportunities beckoned. He might have done more of that in Miami, but they did enough together to make the time memorable. And for Riley, the chase continues, for the next superstar to follow the likes of Wade, Shaquille O'Neal (who also shared a tribute video to Riley) and James and take the Heat to the top.

He's also said that the biggest lie in sports was that "Pat is going to retire to Malibu," and that remains true. If he ever does, he won't need to go far to see his fist raised to the sky, a tribute to excellence and impact in a city that apparently hasn't forgotten.