The unveiling ceremony of the Pat Riley statue by the Lakers is officially complete! Dwyane Wade attended to offer congratulations, while U.S. media humorously noted the clear difference between the two statues.

On February 23rd Beijing time, the Lakers hosted a ceremony to reveal a statue honoring their legendary coach Pat Riley. The statue shows Riley with his left hand on his waist and his right fist raised, radiating strong energy. His former disciple Dwyane Wade attended the event, and U.S. media teased that Riley’s statue is much more impressive than Wade’s. Standing 2.41 meters tall and weighing 231 kilograms, Riley becomes the eighth figure in Lakers history to have a statue.

The inscription on the statue’s base reads: “There will always be moments of challenge. When that moment comes, you must stand firm, take a clear stance, and define who you are, what you do, and where you come from. When that moment arrives, you act.”

Riley is the eighth individual to receive a Lakers statue. The previous seven are: Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Jerry West.

Also attending were Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and “Magic” Johnson among others. Speaking about former coach Riley, Johnson said, “He’s a perfectionist. You have to perform at your best repeatedly. Thank you for pushing me to new heights.”

Johnson also mentioned that Riley once told him to score more points, to which Magic replied, “Have you asked Kareem? Because everything goes through him.”

Although Wade never played for the Lakers, his relationship with Riley is very close. Wade said, “I witnessed him come to Miami and seamlessly fit in. When this legendary coach believed in me and chose me, he completely changed my life. Riley gave me a foundation, instilled discipline, taught me standards, and gave me love and care. Thank you for trusting me back then and for the memories and glory you brought me.”

Wade also added, “Your legacy is excellence itself, it’s cultural heritage, it is eternal. I love you.”

When Riley took the stage to speak, he also expressed gratitude towards Wade. “He arrived here as a rookie. He was still raw, but remarkable, gifted, and a bit cocky, confident in himself. I’ve never seen a young player work as hard as Wade, who ultimately became one of the greatest players in history.”

Riley continued, “Wade is absolutely the greatest player in Miami Heat history. During the 2006 Finals, I started texting him ‘BIW,’ and he replied with ‘???’. I told him it meant ‘Best In the World.’”

Riley’s core coaching record with the Lakers is as follows: Head coach from 1981 to 1990, winning 4 championships in 9 years, pioneering the ‘Showtime’ era, with a regular season record of 533 wins and 194 losses (73.3% win rate), playoff record of 102 wins and 47 losses (68.5% win rate), 9 seasons with 50+ wins, 5 seasons with 60+ wins, and named Coach of the Year for the 1989–90 season.