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Lakers announce statue for former head coach Phil Jackson

By Thomson Reuters Sep 8, 2026 | 3:37 PM

By Field Level Media

Sep 08 (Field Level Media) – The Los Angeles Lakers will add to their collection ​of statues outside their downtown ‌arena, with former head coach Phil Jackson getting the bronze treatment on April 9 of next year.

Jackson will become the ninth member ‌of ​the organization to ⁠be honored with a ⁠statue, joining players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal; players/team executives Elgin Baylor, Pat Riley ​and Jerry West, and broadcaster Chick Hearn.

Two statues honor Bryant, with ⁠a third scheduled to ⁠be revealed at a future ​date. Riley was the last to receive ​a statue outside Crypto.com Arena when ‌he was honored in February.

Jackson guided the Lakers to five titles and seven NBA Finals appearances in his ⁠11 seasons as head coach from 1999 to 2011, not including the 2004-05 season, which ⁠he ‌skipped after a dispute with ⁠management.

The Lakers reached the playoffs ​in ‌every season Jackson was the ​head coach.

Jackson ⁠also coached the Chicago Bulls for nine seasons (1989-98) and won six titles. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

(–Field ​Level Media)