The Phil Jackson statue is headed for Star Plaza. The Lakers announced on Sept. 8, 2026, that their former coach will receive a statue in the space outside Crypto.com Arena where the franchise honors its most decorated figures. It is scheduled to be unveiled April 9, 2027, before the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2026-27 NBA season.
Star Plaza’s Ninth Honoree
Jackson will be the ninth person honored with a statue in Star Plaza, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Pat Riley and Jerry West. The addition places Jackson alongside the players, a broadcaster and the franchise executives who built the Lakers into one of the sport’s signature organizations. That institutional prestige is also reflected in the Lakers’ position near the top of current NBA franchise-value estimates.
Jackson’s Coaching Record
The recognition centers on two coaching stints totaling 11 seasons, in which Jackson led the Lakers to a 610-292 regular season record and a 118-63 mark in the playoffs. He won five championships in Los Angeles, including the 2000-02 three-peat with O’Neal and Bryant, and he led the franchise to seven trips to the Finals.
Jackson’s 11 seasons with the Lakers followed six championships he won as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, giving him 11 championships overall across his head coaching career. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss issued a statement marking the announcement, praising Jackson’s impact on the franchise and its history.
Why the Honor, and Why Now
For a franchise that treats Star Plaza as a running honor roll rather than a one-time gallery, the decision formalizes something that has looked likely since Jackson stepped away from coaching: a five-time champion in Los Angeles was always a strong candidate for the honor, and the only real question was timing.
The timing itself carries its own context. Star Plaza already tells the story of the Lakers’ championship eras, from the Showtime teams built around Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson to the O’Neal and Bryant dynasty that Jackson himself coached to three straight titles. Adding Jackson completes a specific chapter of that story: he is the coach most associated with turning that era’s talent into banners, and Star Plaza will now credit both the players and the coach who won with them.
Jackson’s case for the honor rests on more than longevity. His triangle offense and his ability to manage complicated locker rooms, first with Michael Jordan’s Bulls and then with O’Neal and Bryant’s Lakers, produced a body of work that changed how front offices think about coaches who can also manage stars rather than simply draw up plays. That track record, six titles in Chicago and five more in Los Angeles, is the basketball case the Lakers are putting in bronze outside their own arena.
What Happens Next
The Lakers have not detailed the ceremony beyond the date and opponent.
The statue is scheduled to go up in Star Plaza in time for the April 9, 2027 unveiling, giving fans a permanent marker of Jackson’s Lakers and Bulls career outside the building where much of the Lakers portion of it played out. It will stand as a reminder that the Lakers’ most recent sustained dynasty, built around O’Neal and Bryant, had a coach whose fingerprints are now part of the plaza’s permanent record alongside the players he coached.