Phil Jackson coached the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships across two stints from 1999 to 2011, leading teams built around Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images
Sept. 8, 2026 Updated 5:44 pm EDT
The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue honoring Phil Jackson, who coached the franchise to five NBA championships across two stints from 1999 to 2011.
The Lakers will unveil the statue on April 9 outside Crypto.com Arena before hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“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.”
Jackson will join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Riley and Jerry West among members of the Lakers organization honored with statues in Star Plaza outside the team’s home arena. The Lakers most recently unveiled Riley’s statue last year.
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Jackson led two Lakers eras to championships, first winning three consecutive titles with teams led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant from 2000 to 2002, then later returning to coach Bryant and Pau Gasol to two more in 2009 and 2010.
In all, Jackson led the Lakers to the NBA Finals seven times. He won six championships with the Chicago Bulls before coming to Los Angeles in 1999, giving him an NBA-record 11 titles as a head coach. The Bulls have yet to build a statue honoring Jackson for his time with the franchise.
Jeanie Buss and Jackson began dating after he joined the Lakers and became engaged in 2013. They ended their engagement in 2016.
Sep 9, 2026
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