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Phil Jackson and his place in Lakers history is already secure, but the franchise is about to make it permanent.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Tuesday that Jackson will receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, adding the Hall of Fame coach to the franchise\u2019s legendary collection of basketball icons. The unveiling is scheduled for April 9, 2027, ahead of the Lakers\u2019 home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin.<\/p>\n
Jackson spent 11 seasons as Lakers head coach across two separate stints from 1999-2004 and 2005-11. During that time, he helped guide the organization to five NBA championships, including the famous three-peat from 2000-02 and back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.<\/p>\n
Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss praised Jackson\u2019s impact on the franchise in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,\u201d Lakers acting governor Jeanie Buss said<\/a> in a statement. \u201cHis masterful approach to coaching brought out the best in some of the greatest athletes to ever play the game. After he accepted my dad\u2019s invitation to join the Lakers, Phil\u2019s unmatched creativity and commitment to excellence restored our championship legacy, bringing five titles and setting a standard of excellence for generations to come.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a great joy to be able to mark that achievement with the statue he so richly deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n Jackson\u2019s coaching r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is unmatched. He won 11 NBA championships as a head coach, the most in league history, and built championship teams around stars including Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O\u2019Neal and Pau Gasol. His trademark triangle offense became synonymous with some of the NBA\u2019s most dominant teams.<\/p>\n The 80-year-old was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and was later recognized as one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history during the league\u2019s 75th anniversary celebrations.<\/p>\n Once unveiled, Jackson will become the ninth Lakers figure honored with a statue at Star Plaza. He will join franchise legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, Jerry West, Shaquille O\u2019Neal and Kobe Bryant, who is represented by two separate statues.<\/p>\n The statue is being designed by renowned sculptor Omri Amrany of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, according to McMenamin.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Sandro Mamukelashvili Reveals Surprising Lakers Chemistry<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n