'I'm just a kid from Schenectady, New York'
In a video posted on the LA Lakers Facebook page, a group of fellow basketball greats including Magic Johnson broke come exciting news to former Lakers coach Pat Riley:
They have decided to give you a statue outside of Crypto.com [Arena]
Riley fought back tears as he heard the news, to which the legendary coach replied:
I'm just a kid from Schenectady, New York and here I am gonna have a statue with the Lakers
Born in Rome, NY, Pat Riley grew up in Schenectady and graduated from Linton High School in 1963. The athletic center at Schenectady High School is named after him.
After a successful career as an NBA player, Riley coached the Lakers from 1981 to 1990. He is currently president of the NBA's Miami Heat.