Phil Jackson’s place in the Lakers’ championship rotation will become permanent in bronze next year, with the club scheduling the former coach’s statue unveiling for April 9 before its home game against Minnesota.
Phil Jackson statue planned outside Lakers arena
The Lakers will honor Jackson in Star Plaza outside their downtown arena, adding the coach behind five Los Angeles titles to the franchise’s statue line.
Jackson coached the Lakers across two stints spanning 11 seasons, reaching seven NBA Finals and winning five championships. His 610 regular-season victories remain the most by a Lakers head coach, and every one of his Los Angeles teams reached the playoffs before his coaching run ended in 2011.
He arrived in Los Angeles in 1999 after winning six championships with Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Jackson’s first three Lakers clubs captured titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal leading the roster. The Lakers later won championships in 2009 and 2010 with Bryant and Pau Gasol, while also reaching the Finals in 2004 and 2008.
From the locker room
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said Jackson’s coaching identity was built around championship standards and his ability to draw the best from elite players.
Buss said Jackson’s creativity and demand for excellence helped restore the franchise’s title tradition after he accepted the invitation from her father to take the Lakers job. She called the statue a fitting recognition of the coach’s five championships and the standard he established for future generations.
Jackson will be the ninth Lakers figure represented by a statue outside the arena. He joins Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bryant, O’Neal, longtime broadcaster Chick Hearn and former Lakers coach Pat Riley, whose statue was unveiled earlier this year.
The North Dakota native played for the New York Knicks before moving into coaching. His 11 NBA championships as a head coach are the most in league history, and he is a Basketball Hall of Fame member.
Next tip
The Lakers’ April 9 home date against Minnesota will include the Jackson statue ceremony before tip-off.
SEO Title: Lakers set Phil Jackson statue unveiling before April 9 Minnesota game
SEO Description: The Lakers will unveil a Phil Jackson statue on April 9 before hosting Minnesota, honoring the coach who won five titles and set the franchise record with 610 victories.
