The Los Angeles Lakers will honor former coach Phil Jackson with a statue at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, the team announced Tuesday. The unveiling is planned for a game during the 2026-27 NBA season.
Jackson, who turns 81 next week, coached the Lakers for 11 seasons across two separate tenures, from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2011. During his time with the team, he guided them to five NBA championships, with rosters featuring Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal for the initial three-peat, and Bryant and Pau Gasol for the subsequent two titles.
Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss stated in a release that Jackson "defines championship basketball for a reason." She added that his "masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game" and that his "unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come."
Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also recognized for his success with the Chicago Bulls, where he won six NBA championships.
He will become the ninth Lakers figure to be immortalized in bronze at Star Plaza. The plaza already features statues of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant. Bryant is honored with two statues, one of which also commemorates his late daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Maria-Onor’e Bryant.