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Lakers’ LeBron James shows major respect to Pat Riley after incredible halftime ceremony
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- Lakers’ LeBron James shows major respect to Pat Riley after incredible halftime ceremony
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Even though the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics , 111-89, on Sunday, it was a memorable evening for the fans, as the team honored one of its most iconic figures in former coach Pat Riley .
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The halftime ceremony was a special tribute to Riley to celebrate his statue , which was unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena before the game.
LeBron James admitted that he took a peek at the halftime ceremony, which was hosted by Magic Johnson and attended by former players of Riley, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Jamaal Wilkes, AC Green, and Byron Scott, among others.
The 41-year-old James only had good words to say about the 80-year-old Riley, stressing that he has the "utmost respect" for the legendary mentor.
"He's one of the all-time greats that has ever been part of this league, not only as a player, (but as) a coach, an executive, front office, everything. Obviously, what he did with the Lakers organization in the 80s goes without saying, and rightfully so, they made a statue of him outside the building," said James in a video posted by EssentiallySports' Mark Medina.
Of course, James and Riley spent four years together on the Miami Heat , where the latter has served as team president for over three decades. James led the Heat to two titles before leaving in 2014 to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers .
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James' decision to join Miami changed the NBA's landscape, while also underscoring the continued influence of Riley.
While many believe that they could have won more championships together, James said he is not hung up on the past.
"It's human nature to look back and say, 'Okay, what could have been.' But that's part of life," added the four-time MVP, who had 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals against the Celtics.
Riley coached the Lakers to four championships as the architect of the famed "Showtime" era.
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