Jeanie Buss: Phil Jackson Deserves Lakers Statue

The Los Angeles Lakers announced that they will unveil a statue for former head coach Phil Jackson outside of Crypto.com Arena ahead of the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 9, 2027. Jackson is the greatest coach in franchise history winning five of his 11 NBA Championships with the purple and gold leading the likes of Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol.

The news of his statue was met with great reverence as Jackson remains extremely beloved and respected within the franchise. And Lakers governor Jeanie Buss had great praise for him following the news of the announcement being released.

“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Buss said in a statement. “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 brought immediate success to the Lakers upon joining the franchise, leading that team starring O’Neal and Bryant to 67 wins and an NBA Championship in his first season at the helm. They would, of course, also win the next two championships as well, immediately securing their place as one of the greatest dynasties of all-time.

Jackson would leave the Lakers after the 2004 season and after one year away, return and ultimately win two more rings in 2009 and 2010 behind Bryant and Gasol. Overall, Jackson holds the Lakers’ franchise records for both regular season and playoff coaching wins. He also has the second-highest regular season win percentage of all NBA head coaches, though the man ahead of him, Joe Mazzula, has coached more than 1,300 fewer games.

It is also great to see Buss speaking so highly of Jackson. It is well known that the two were in a long-term relationship, but have been able to remain friends beyond it and the respect between the two remains strong.

Former Lakers big man Pau Gasol reacts to Phil Jackson statue announcement

Gasol was one of many players whose life and career were greatly affected by Jackson and everything he did both on and off the court. At the news of the statue being announced, Gasol took to social media with a very simple response.