Pat Riley Statue Unveiling
On February 22, 2026, I had the honor of attending the Los Angeles Lakers’ unveiling of Coach Pat Riley’s statue. Patrick James Riley, born in 1945, is one of the greatest NBA figures of all time. He is best-known as being head coach of the Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s, winning four championships, as well as being the current team president of the Miami Heat (as of 2026). In addition, Riley is the first North American sports figure to win a championship as a player, as an assistant coach, as a head coach, and as an executive. Riley has reached 19 NBA Finals across six different decades, which equates to 25% of all NBA Finals having involved Riley at one of these levels. Referred to as “the Godfather”, he is a basketball deity, fashion icon, and best-selling author, making up a small part of his reputation. I, myself, am a big fan of the man (obviously).
I am proud to say that the aforementioned statue was in fact created by my father, Sean Bell. As the lead sculptor of the project, Dad spent months bringing Riley out of the wood, wire, and clay. With the esteemed privilege of being able to meet and share phone calls with Mr. Riley, Dad was able to wonderfully capture the GQ style that embodies the prolific man. I owe a lot to Dad because I was even able to meet Mr. Riley. It was truly a one-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget. Both he and my dad are a pleasure to be around and work with, which I believe lead to the wonderful piece of art you see here.
Luckily (and almost accidentally), Dad and I gained exclusive access to Crypto.com Arena’s Star Plaza while the security barricades for the unveiling were still set up. The following moments are what is captured here, some of the earliest, closest photographs of the statue following its unveiling the day before. I recommend anyone who visits Los Angeles to check it out, as well as the rest of Star Plaza. There, you might just find some other work that is signed by a Bell family member…
