Phil Jackson already has 11 NBA championship rings. Now he’s getting a statue, too.
The Lakers announced Tuesday that Jackson will be honored with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, with the unveiling scheduled for April 9, 2027, before Los Angeles hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jackson coached the Lakers to five championships during two stints with the franchise, winning three straight from 2000-02 with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, then two more in 2009 and 2010 with Bryant leading the way.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” longtime Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in the team’s announcement. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.”
Jackson, of course, had already won six championships with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls before taking over the Lakers in 1999. His 11 titles remain the most by a head coach in NBA history.
He’ll become the ninth Lakers figure honored with a statue outside the arena, joining Bryant, O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Chick Hearn and Pat Riley.
That’s a fairly exclusive neighborhood, and with 11 championships and a Hall of Fame coaching career, Jackson probably doesn’t need much of an introduction there.
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