Following the announcement of a Pat Riley statue, the Lakers are reportedly expected to do the same with another coaching great in Phil Jackson.
Recently, the Lakers anounced that Pat Riley will receive a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
Riley will be the first Lakers coach with a statue, and based on his accolades, this is absolutely deserved. The only other Lakers coach to have a resume that can rival Riley’s is Phil Jackson.
Both coaches won five titles for the franchise and won at least 67% of their games while in charge of the purple and gold. Riley did it with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jackson was the passing of the torch running the Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal era along with winning the back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Due to Jacksons accolades being on par with Riley’s, it is no surprise that he is reportedly getting the same honor as the Showtime coach.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, a Jackson statue following up Riley’s is potentially in the works. In his latest newsletter, Stein discussed the possibility of Phil Jackson being celebrated with a statue outside of the Lakers' stadium.
“Another rumble about down-the-road matters: The Lakers’ recent announcement that they have begun work on a statue for Pat Riley to be erected outside Crypto.com Arena is believed to be a prelude to an eventual announcement about a statue for Phil Jackson. Riley coached the Lakers to four championships in the 1980s; Jackson coached the Lakers to five in two stints with L.A.”
Phil Jackson's accolades undeniably warrant something as iconic as a statue. His 2000s star players, Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal, have already received statues, so it makes sense that the man in charge of them will also have the same honor.
In Jackson's absence, the franchise has struggled to find someone who can keep the job for an extended period of time.
Los Angeles has had eight different coaches in 13 seasons in the post-Jackson era and two are tied for the longest tenures during that time, with Frank Vogel and Luke Walton both lasting for three seasons.
For staying in charge for two long stints under the high pressure and demand of the Lakers fans and the front office, perhaps that alone warrants Jackson's honor.
What's also interesting about this statue is that the team he first found success with, the Chicago Bulls, has not given him such an honor. The Bulls inducted Jackson into the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor, but only a Michael Jordan statue stands outside of the United Center.
I guess the Lakers love and honor Jackson more than the Bulls do.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
