Despite Pitting Shaquille O’Neal Against ‘Juvenile’ Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson Believed Black Mamba’s Confidence Was Superior

The beginning of the infamous feud between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal has many versions. One of those versions involves their coach at the time, Phil Jackson. He was the primary reason for inciting the differences. Phil was never a huge fan of Kobe Bryant. However, after losing to the Boston Celtics in 2008, he had to take Bryant’s side for the way he approached the next season with confidence. A characteristic missing in Shaq, who used to be riddled with self-doubt.

The greatest one-two punch in basketball, Shaq and Kobe achieved a lot of success in their career. However, there are bound to be ego clashes when players of such high caliber are pitted against each other. Phil Jackson provided no respite to the clashes, and this eventually led to Shaq leaving the franchise to join the Miami Heat.

Phil Jackson complimented Kobe Bryant

In the book, ‘Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success‘, Phil Jackson spoke about Kobe Bryant’s supreme confidence. He also compared it to O’Neal’s attitude, which he felt lacked conviction. For someone who has had the pleasure to coach both the superstars, Phil has had a front-row seat to their relationship. Here is an excerpt from the book:

“Kobe, who had been named the NBA’s most valuable player that year, was particularly laser focused. I’ve always been impressed by Kobe’s resilience and ironclad self-confidence. Unlike Shaq, who was often plagued by self-doubt, Kobe never let such thoughts cross his mind. If someone set the bar at ten feet, he’d jump eleven, even if no one had ever done it before. That’s the attitude he brought with him when he arrived at training camp that fall, and it had a powerful impact on his teammates.”

Kobe Bryant’s mamba mentality is well-known across the basketball world. So it’s not surprising when someone appreciates his confidence. However, things were different when it came to the big man. Despite having supreme confidence in his abilities, Shaq would drown in self-doubt when things weren’t looking up.

Phil Jackson called Kobe a ‘Juvenile Narcissist’

It was common knowledge that Kobe Bryant was not the easiest person to get along with. He had a certain expectation from his teammates and usually was not welcoming of criticism. So when Phil Jackson got the opportunity to coach Bryant, he never developed a fondness towards him and called him a ‘juvenile narcissist.’

The Hall of Fame coach was accused by former Lakers player Robert Horry, for starting the feud between the two superstars. According to Horry, Phil gossiped about the two players to the rest of the team. Despite things seemingly looking well, Phil used to portray a concerning dynamic between Kobe and Shaq.