Lakers to Honor Phil Jackson with Statue Outside Crypto.com Arena
Los Angeles Lakers announced a statue of legendary coach Phil Jackson will be unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena on April 9, 2027, honoring his five championships with the franchise.
Los Angeles Lakers will immortalize Phil Jackson, one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, with a statue outside the Crypto.com Arena. The club announced on Tuesday that the statue will be unveiled on April 9, 2027, ahead of the home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A Legacy of Championships
"There is a reason Phil Jackson is so synonymous with championship basketball," said outgoing Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. "His approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest players in the history of the game. After accepting my dad's invitation to come to the Lakers, his creativity and commitment to excellence brought back our championship legacy, delivered five championships, and set a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to immortalize this achievement with a statue that is so richly deserved."
Jackson arrived at the Lakers ahead of the 1999-2000 season, after having already won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. In Los Angeles, he led Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002, and later returned for another stint to guide Bryant and Pau Gasol to two more titles, in 2009 and 2010.
Record-Breaking Tenure
In total, Jackson coached the Lakers for 11 seasons, leading them to seven NBA Finals appearances and five championships. He ranks first in franchise history in regular-season games coached (902), regular-season wins (610), playoff games (181), and playoff wins (118). The Lakers reached the playoffs in every single season he stood on the sidelines.
Jackson holds 11 championships as a head coach—more than any other coach in NBA history—having won six with Chicago and five more with the Lakers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007 and in 2022 was selected as one of the 15 greatest coaches in league history as part of the NBA's 75th-anniversary celebrations.
Jackson will be the ninth Lakers-associated figure to be immortalized with a statue outside the arena, following Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Riley, and Jerry West.
