Lakers Immortalize Phil Jackson With Franchise’s Highest Honor

Los Angeles Lakers legend Phil Jackson is getting a well-deserved statue at the arena he once called home, Crypto.com Arena.

Formerly known as Staples Center, Jackson led the Los Angeles Lakers for years as the head coach during the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant era.

Now, like O’Neal and Bryant before him, Jackson is getting a statue outside of the arena.

When will Phil Jackson get a Lakers’ statue

The honor will come on April 27th, 2027, during a home game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers acting 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.”

Phil Jackson’s Lakers’ legacy

He led the Lakers to the three-peat from 1999 to 2001, as well as the two-peat in 2009 and 2010, coaching Kobe Bryant for over a decade and building a kinship with the superstar.

With the five titles and 13 years of service, Jackson is responsible for some of the best basketball in the Lakers’ history.

He brought the triangle offense to Los Angeles, and he managed the egos of Kobe Bryant and O’Neal well enough to put together multiple NBA Finals runs.

Then he built another team around players like Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, with Bryant as the centerpiece.

Jackson succeeded across eras and different styles of basketball, giving him a claim to being the best NBA coach of all time.

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