Los Angeles Lakers will honour Phil Jackson with a statue at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, scheduled to be unveiled on April 9, 2027 before the regular-season game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an institutional tribute that will make the Hall of Fame coach the ninth figure celebrated at the venue. The announcement, published by CBS Sports — NBA and RealGM — Basketball Wiretap, confirms the commission of the sculpture and the details of the ceremony next spring.
Institutional recognition at Star Plaza
The franchise has commissioned the work from Omri Amrany of Rotblatt Amrany Studio, responsible for several sculptures at the site. The piece will stand on the plaza outside the arena alongside the existing honours and will raise the total to nine figures, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Pat Riley and Jerry West.
Governor Jeanie Buss said Jackson defines championship basketball and that his creativity and commitment to excellence restored the franchise's championship legacy with five titles, noting the statue recognises a standard of excellence for generations to come.
Legacy with the Lakers
Jackson coached the Lakers for 11 seasons across two spells from 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2011, guiding one of the most successful eras in franchise history. He led Los Angeles to seven NBA Finals appearances and five championships, including three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2002 and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.
He finished with a franchise-record 610 regular-season wins against 292 defeats, plus a 118-63 record in the playoffs. The Montana native was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 and was later named among the 15 greatest coaches in league history as part of the 75th anniversary celebration.
Unveiling details and context
The ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 9, 2027, late in the 2026/27 regular season next spring in the North American calendar. The event is part of the franchise's institutional recognition policy and does not constitute a roster operation or off-court lifestyle matter, but rather an acknowledgement of a sporting legacy with verifiable historical impact.
