The recent unveiling of a statue honoring Pat Riley by the Los Angeles Lakers has sparked significant interest, leading to over 20,000 searches related to the topic. This event is noteworthy as it marks a historic moment, with Riley becoming the first coach to receive such an honor from the franchise, highlighting his substantial contributions to the team’s legacy.
The statue unveiling event was well-publicized, drawing attention not only for its significance within the NBA but also for its connection to the iconic “Showtime” era of the Lakers in the 1980s. The presence of various celebrities at the unveiling, as noted in a credible news source, further amplified the excitement around the event, attracting attention from fans and followers eager to learn more about the celebration.
Additionally, the formal acknowledgment of Riley’s impact on the team through a statue serves as a focal point for fans’ nostalgia and admiration, prompting many to seek out related information online. This combination of historical significance, celebrity involvement, and the celebratory nature of the event has contributed to the heightened search interest surrounding Pat Riley.
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Internet Reacts
S
I mean it did look cooler when they wore suits
T
You know the game was on the line when they took their jacket off too
J
With the pit sweat and all
E
Why can’t we have 5 foot 5 coaches desperately grabbing on to ankles of 7 foot tall players anymore maybe we do need to make america great again
9
Wait what? Is there context that I’m missing here?
S
Jeff Van Gundy. Knicks vs Heat, late 90’s.
E
Jeff Van Gundy, Knicks vs Heat, in the dining room.
W
We used to be a proper country
M
Only showboating college coaches did that
R
Damn right. Jerry Sloan kept his jacket on when he tried to fight Rasheed Wallace and Dennis Rodman. Business is business.
B
It was theatrical, and I do miss it
J
It looked way better.
T
Probably. But also no one gives a shit. No one is basing their fandom on what the coach wears
J
Who said anything about that? Pageantry has always been part of professional sports, and wearing suits on the sideline is an acknowledgment of and engagement in that pageantry. Basically every culture around the word has developed formal and/or ceremonial wear to signify participation in meaningful events. If everyone took your dismissive attitude the world would get incrementally shittier as people stripped things down to the barebones of necessity.
P
I’m more a fan of how baseball managers wear uniforms and vote all sports follow. NBA coaches in tanktops and nfl coaches in full pads.
C
Beautifully articulated
I
Yeah, it’s like mascots of teams. No one really gives a shit about them, and if they went away I’m sure most people wouldn’t care. But it’s fun and part of the charm of sports. Same with cheerleaders. Football or basketball wouldn’t be any different at all without them (soccer is the most popular sport and has neither cheerleaders nor mascots), but part of American pageantry in sports is having fit, attractive women dancing in skimpy clothing on the sidelines so the concept stays.
J
What about the gay Republican demographic?
C
They’re never gonna get into something that involves black people
P
Actually, they’re pretty big fans of ownership
L
Aren’t they still allowed to wear suits? I don’t think the dress code forces them to dress in casual attire, they all just choose too.
D
JJ reddick talked about wanting to do the suit thing last year but the rule is the coaching staff all have to wear matching fits, and everybody else wanted to do the athletic leisure clothing
L
So coaches can only wear suits if the entire coaching staff agrees to wear suits?
P
I think they vote and it is majority rule. it wouldn’t make sense though if JJ busts out in Tom Ford and such and then Kerr is in nike slides and an athletic tee. it would def write unnecessary narratives. one band one sound.
8
The NBA media world is already built on ridiculous narratives. Give me some juicy suits vs Nike tees drama.
R
I, for one, would like to see “sells weed in Tampa” Steve Kerr. Maybe he has a bearded dragon on a leash with him on the sidelines or a tarantula in a little plastic habitat that he sets his whiteboard on.
T
That’s such a lame rule
E
I can get it for the assistant coaches but it doesn’t make for good presentation when the head coach and the assistants are all wearing the exact same thing. The head coach’s fit should look different, even if it’s something dumb like their leisure clothing being a different color
K
That’s such a dumb rule
C
Suits don’t sell merch for Nike
C
Didn’t they say exactly this when NFL coaches tried to bring back suits a few years ago? You can’t put sponsorships on a suit
D
Wow, I hate that. I coach at the HS & JH level and while I don’t wear a full Armani suit, I do still wear dress pants, button up, tie, and dress shoes but I have zero issue with any assistant who wants to wear team attire like 1/4 zip, team polo, sweats, etc…it’s not a fashion show and I’m certainly not going to dictate what the assistants have to wear.
D
So it can happen with the right coach. Just that no coaching staff has yet to agree on it. Also the rule makes sense a mix of suits and at leisure would look like a mess on the sidelines.
F
Not true. They have to be in matching team gear
H
Nah make them wear uniforms like baseball managers
W
It did but can you imagine sweating and walking around here and there in a suit during games… They could at least have their own drip instead of every staff member dress the same nike tech
O
Not hard to imagine. Because they literally did it.
L
Soccer coaches wear suits in the rain.
J
\*laughs in vincent kompany\*
D
Coaches probably knew about dry cleaning spots in each city.
D
For the amount of money they make, I think they can deal with being a little sweaty. Idk.
P
Yeah call me old fashioned but I like the look of suits on coaches
F
Blame Bill Bellichick for making hoodies and other “athleisure” wear cool among sports coaches.
M
If Belichick had his way he would have been wearing a suit. Blame the NFL for making them wear Reebok apparel at the time.
B
iirc, former 49ers coach Mike Nolan was the last one to wear a suit and he had to have it made and branded by Reebok because the NFL had a contract with them. He coached while Belichick was coaching, so BB could have worn one but didn’t.
V
My guy, Belichick did the ripped up hoodies in protest of the NFL sideline outfit rule change. He wanted to wear suits on the sidelines but the NFL changed the rules that coaches need to wear NFL gear. The NFL forced him to wear the gear so he ripped up his hoodies on purpose to make it look as bad as possible.
C
Well football coaches it makes sense you’d want to be comfortable given you’re outside in adverse conditions sometimes. Prioritizing comfort is fine there imo, though Bill pushed it sometimes into looking like a slob Basketball you’re indoors, look like a fucking professional. These arenas are all temp controlled it’s not the 80s anymore when Red Auerbach would turn the AC off. They still wear suits in hockey
C
It’s ridiculous that they have a dress code.
P
David stern got the same flack… but now NBA players are leaders in all things fashion and culture. opened the league up to alllll kinds of new lifestyle endorsements and players up to more opportunities for fame and fortune. it’s something you gotta drag everybody to the table kicking and screaming but once they get there…food is good.
_
Except… Stern era dress code was very strict and since about 2012, it hasn’t been anywhere near as strict. That period of terrible cheap huge suits was awful. Once they started letting them wear what they wanted again, it became great.
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