Pat Riley got his last year, now it’s Phil Jackson’s turn.
The Los Angeles Lakers are going to honor Jackson, who coached the team to five titles, with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena. A ceremony unveiling the statue is set for April 9, when the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement announcing the ceremony. “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 first came to the Lakers in 1999, at a time the Lakers were the most talented team in the league, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. However, getting all those players on the same page was the issue. Jackson came in with the gravitas to make everyone listen — especially Shaq, who has said at that point in his career he needed a coach who could stand up to him in his eyes and tell him no. Jackson did (and at points Kobe paid the price). Shaq played arguably the best basketball of his career under Jackson and the Lakers three-peated with that team.
Jackson left, but returned a few years later to patch things up with Kobe and win two more titles with the Lakers in the Kobe and Pau Gasol era.
For much of his time with the Lakers, Jackson and Buss dated and got engaged in 2013, only to break it off three years later.
Jackson becomes the ninth person from the Lakers organization with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, joining Riley, Shaq, Kobe, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson and Jerry West. The one surprising name not on that list: Dr. Jerry Buss.
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