Erik Spoelstra's honest reaction to Pat Riley getting statue from Lakers

Shortly after the Miami Heat honored Pat Riley by naming their court at Kaseya Center after the legendary coach and executive, the Los Angeles Lakers announced plans to commemorate him with a statue. Riley’s protégé, Erik Spoelstra, expressed his excitement over the recognition, praising the Heat president's remarkable legacy with a heartfelt reaction.

“Those Showtime Lakers are iconic. He kind of, I don’t know how do I say it, the image of a professional basketball coach, he just totally changed it in the 80s. And then you know made it something that people thought ‘Hey that’d be really cool to be able to do something like that.’” said the Miami Heat head coach.

“It’s incredible, and none of us heard anything about it... Rightly so, those showtime Lakers are iconic... The image of a professional basketball coach, he totally changed it in the 80s."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra on Pat Riley getting a statue from the Lakers 🙌

(via… pic.twitter.com/FtwEHgmUV9

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 18, 2024

The Showtime Lakers remain one of the most iconic eras in NBA history, with Pat Riley as the visionary architect. Known as “The Godfather,” Riley guided the Purple and Gold to five championships in the 1980s—one as an assistant coach and four as head coach. His statue will be placed at Star Plaza outside the Crypto.com Arena.

Pat Riley's legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers

Riley transformed the game with his innovative fastbreak offense, turning the Lakers into one of the most electrifying teams of his era. While Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest point guard of all time, executed the strategy brilliantly on the court, Riley's vision and leadership were instrumental in driving that evolution.

At 79, Riley's three-decade tenure with the Miami Heat as a coach and executive has solidified his legacy, but his NBA journey began with the Lakers. He played for the franchise from 1970 to 1975 and later transitioned to broadcasting for the team before stepping into a coaching role as Paul Westhead's assistant in 1979.

“Pat is a Lakers icon. His professionalism, commitment to his craft and game preparation paved the way for the coaching we see across the league today. My dad recognized Pat’s obsession and ability to take talented players and coalesce them into a championship team. The style of basketball Pat and the Lakers created in the 80s is still the blueprint for the organization today: an entertaining and winning team,” said Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

In a press release announcing the statue, the Lakers revealed that Jeanie Buss shared the news with Riley during a video call on Monday. The call included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Magic Johnson, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy, Vlade Divac, Karen West, and Chris Riley.

Riley is set to join the ranks of Lakers legends honored with statues in Star Plaza, a well-known tourist destination. He will become the eighth figure immortalized there, alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and iconic broadcaster Chick Hearn.

The Godfather after his time in Los Angeles

After his tenure with the Lakers, Riley took on a new challenge, coaching the New York Knicks for four seasons. In 1995, he transitioned to the Miami Heat as both team president and head coach. Riley has since remained at the helm as Miami's president.

During his first 29 seasons with the Miami Heat, Riley led the team to a 1,316-995 (.569) record, the best in the Eastern Conference and second-best in the NBA over that span. He guided the Heat to 23 playoff appearances, 16 division titles—the most in the league during that time—seven NBA Finals appearances, and three championships (2006, 2012, and 2013).

Riley led the Heat as head coach and team president to their first NBA championship in 2006. In 2008, he handed over coaching responsibilities to Erik Spoelstra, focusing solely on his role as team president. Under his leadership, the Heat secured two more titles in 2012 and 2013.

With his time at the Lakers and Knicks included, Riley ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time wins list for head coaches. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a head coach in 2008 and earned recognition as one of the NBA’s 15 greatest coaches in history in 2022.