Kobe Bryant, to many, is the greatest player to ever dawn the Purple and Gold. Recently, the first statue of the late Lakers legend was unveiled by the franchise, a small gesture, which will immortalize Kobe’s legacy, reminding fans of what the Black Mamba stood for. During the momentous ceremony, NBA legend, and Kobe’s former Lakers coach, Phil Jackson revealed an interesting story, that perfectly portrays the persona behind Kobe’s personality.
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Talking about Kobe, Jackson said,
“I arranged a meeting between Michael and Kobe. To give him a little impression on how to handle, being in a restricted basketball system, that relied on passing the basketball to available teammates….we had a little meeting in the cigar room…Michael and I were sitting there, and Kobe walked down there after a shower…he sat down and said ‘Michael I can take you one-on-one.'”
The story that Phil Jackson just mentioned isn’t the first time fans have heard of it, as the incident first came to light in the Book, Three Ring Circus, by Jeff Pearlman. What Jackson failed to mention was that Michael didn’t have a typical Michael-like reaction to a 22-year-old Kobe Bryant talking smack to him.
Michael who was at the time retired, gave the young Kobe his props, telling him ” You probably can. Your 22 and I am 36.” The verbal agreement from Jordan was something that didn’t sit well with Jackson, as the Lakers coach would describe Jordan’s response as being, “weird”.
Kobe Bryant was ‘too much’ for Phil Jackson
Many believe that Kobe and Michael shared a similar relationship with Phil Jackson, a head coach, who would lead both Michael and Kobe for the majority of their careers. Phil’s relationship with Michael was rather sombre, as the two would often engage in respectful banter or discourse.
As for Jackson’s relationship with Kobe, the duo once had it so bad, that Jackson had to visit a psycho-therapist to understand how to deal with Kobe during practices and matches. Talking about it in his book, Eleven Rings: The Soul Of Success, Phil described the events as follows,
” I consulted a psychotherapist who offered valuable guidance on managing someone like Kobe. The suggested approach involved (i) reducing criticism and instead providing ample positive feedback, (ii) avoiding actions that could potentially embarrass him in front of his peers, and (iii) subtly influencing him to believe that my intentions aligned with his ideas.”
But things wouldn’t stay sour forever between Jackson and Kobe, as the duo would eventually make peace with their situation. During Kobe’s recurring knee problems, Jackson would regularly check up on Bryant, even allowing him to go easy during practice, to preserve his legs. The duo soon started spending time on the team plane, discussing game strategy and watching films together.
