Fourteen months after recognizing one of the greatest coaches in franchise history, the Lakers will repeat the honor in April.
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Phil Jackson, who led the Lakers to five NBA championships in his 11 seasons as head coach, will receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena on April 9 before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jackson and the Lakers won three consecutive titles in the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal heydays from 2000-02 and went back-to-back with Bryant and Pau Gasol in 2009 and 2010.
“Phil Jackson defines championship basketball for a reason,” Lakers Governor Jeanie 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.”
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After guiding the Chicago Bulls to six Larry O’Brien championship trophies from 1991-98, Jackson arrived to the Lakers in 1999 and had two stints as head coach, from 1999-2004 and from 2005-11. He finished his Lakers tenure with a 610-292 (.676) regular-season record and 118-63 (.652) mark in the postseason. The Lakers qualified for the playoffs every season under Jackson and advanced to seven NBA Finals.
With his five NBA titles, Jackson is tied with John Kudla, who led the Minneapolis Lakers to the apex from 1949-54, for most in franchise history.
The Hall of Fame coach follows Pat Riley, the 1980s Showtime guru who won four NBA titles in L.A. and was honored with his own statue in February. Others similarly honored at Star Plaza include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and O’Neal.
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