Mychal Thompson Celebrates Riley’s Honor…

Mychal Thompson, once the linchpin of the Lakers’ 1987 and 1988 championship teams, is thrilled to hear about Pat Riley’s statue debut. The Lakers, with magic-man Magic Johnson and skyhook king Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, were coached by Riley, a figure so important he probably has his own zip code in Lakers’ history! Toon versions of a Riley statue will be unveiled at Star Plaza on Feb. 22, right before the Lakers face off against the Celtics. Thompson joyfully expressed his hopes on social media that the sculptors won’t turn Riley into a modern art experiment gone wrong like last year’s Dwyane Wade statue.

The excitement for Riley’s statue is well-deserved, given his pivotal role in the 1980s ‘Showtime’ era. His influence is as mammoth as a basketball hoop for elephants! The prestigious coach, who snagged a title as a player in 1972 and coached his way to four more, boasts the top win percentage in Lakers’ history. The big day on Feb. 22, hopefully, won’t only serve as a celebration for Riley but also as a sweet victory over the Boston Celtics—the team he would probably challenge to a dance-off if he had the chance. Meanwhile, the Lakers are gearing up for NBA Rivalry Week, taking on the Clippers, Nuggets, and Mavericks on a dream-chasing road trip—Don’t worry, no statues will be harmed in the making of these games!