Showtime Lakers. Undoubtedly one of the most pivotal eras in NBA history. And the mastermind behind it all? Pat Riley. Yes, The Godfather led the Purple and Gold franchise to five championships in the 80s, one as an assistant coach and four as the head coach. And the Lakers are honoring his legacy by commissioning his statue at Star Plaza outside the Crypto.com arena. Sure enough, Riley’s prodigy Erik Spoelstra was ecstatic about the news and acknowledged the Heat President’s greatness with a priceless reaction.

Addressing the Lakers’ decision to honor Riley with a statue, Spoelstra said, “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.’”

Yes, Riley revolutionized the game with his fastbreak offense and made the Lakers the most exciting team to watch during his tenure. Obviously, he had arguably the greatest point guard, Magic Johnson, turning his plan into reality on the court. But The Godfather was a massive part of that change. And Spoelstra, who started as a video coordinator under Riley’s wing and has now become an elite head coach in Miami, understood the significant value of Riley getting a statue alongside other Lakers legends, “I’m really glad to hear that the Lakers are doing this. It’s going to be a pretty special moment.”

Well, Riley will be the eighth Laker to be immortalized as a statue at Star Plaza. The franchise will unveil the date later as the statue is set to be completed in 2026.

Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson pay homage to “Lakers icon” Pat Riley

Apart from Coach Spo, Jeanie Buss, and Magic Johnson, boasted of Riley’s greatness as a former head coach. “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,” Jeanie remarked.

Moreover, she also highlighted how Pat’s impact can be felt around the league even 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.”

Yes, the fast-paced offense of the modern NBA is very similar to what Pat ran with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And even Magic, himself, acknowledged Riley’s greatness in his latest tweet, “Congratulations to, in my opinion, the greatest coach to ever grace the NBA! A huge thank you to Jeanie Buss for making this moment possible. All of his Showtime players are thrilled to see this well-deserved statue come to life!”

Sure enough, Riley is one of the most influential figures in league history. Likewise, he continues to build his legacy with the Heat.