LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue honoring former head coach Phil Jackson outside their downtown arena on April 9, the team announced Tuesday.
The Lakers will unveil the statue before their home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jackson coached the Lakers for 11 seasons across two stints and led the franchise to five NBA championships and seven NBA Finals appearances.
He joined Los Angeles in 1999 after coaching the Chicago Bulls to six championships with Michael Jordan. Jackson immediately guided the Lakers into another championship era, winning three straight titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
The Lakers won two more championships under Jackson in 2009 and 2010, with Bryant and Pau Gasol leading the team. Jackson also guided the Lakers to NBA Finals appearances in 2004 and 2008.
Jackson holds the Lakers’ franchise record for coaching victories with 610. His teams reached the playoffs in every season he coached the Lakers before his tenure ended in 2011.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said. “His masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game.”
Buss said Jackson helped restore the Lakers’ championship legacy after her father, Jerry Buss, brought him to Los Angeles.
Jackson will become the ninth Lakers-associated figure with a statue in Star Plaza outside the arena. He will join Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, broadcaster Chick Hearn and former Lakers coach Pat Riley.
Jackson holds the NBA record for most championships as a head coach with 11. The North Dakota native and former New York Knicks forward also belongs to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
