The Lakers will unveil a statue of another legendary coach late in the 2026-27 season.
The franchise announced Tuesday that it’ll unveil a statue of Phil Jackson, who won five NBA championships in 11 seasons with the Lakers, on April 9, 2027 outside Crypto.com Arena.
The team is set to host the Timberwolves that night in a nationally-televised game on ESPN.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. After he accepted my dad’s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil’s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come. It is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.”
After guiding the Bulls to six NBA titles from 1991-98, Jackson took over the Lakers coaching reins ahead of the 1999-2000 season, leading the franchise in one of its best eras: Five NBA titles (seven NBA Finals appearances), including three consecutive championships from 2000-02 and back-to-back titles in 2009 and ‘10, while he was head coach from 1999-2004 and 2005-2011.
Jackson is the Lakers’ all-time leader for the most regular-season games coached (902), most playoff games coached (181), most regular-season game wins (610) and most playoff wins (118).
The Lakers reached the postseason every year under Jackson, including nine 50-plus-win seasons and two 60-plus-win seasons.
Jackson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and was named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history as part of the league’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2022.
He’ll become the ninth person the franchise honors with a statue, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Riley and Jerry West.
