The Zen Master, Phil Jackson wasn’t your typical NBA coach. He once had dreamed of spanking former Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
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In the 75 years of the NBA’s existence, there have been numerous head coaches. Although, only a few have reached Hall of Fame status.
The likes of Red Auerbach, Larry Brown, Chuck Daly, and Pat Riley come to mind. However, even in the presence of such great coaches, Phil Jackson stands out.
The Zen Master was known to be a coach who had some interesting methods. He even had some interesting dreams, which included one of his biggest superstars, Kobe Bryant
Also Read: Kobe Bryant Once Lost $40,000 for a No-Show at a Charity Event During the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend
Phil Jackson once had a dream about spanking Kobe Bryant during a horrid run with the Lakers
Hall of Famer, Phil Jackson is well remembered for the 11 NBA Championships he won as coach of the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers. However, The Zen Master didn’t get his nickname through his use of conventional training methods.
He was known for making his players focus on meditation and their state of mind. Well, during one torrid week with the LA Lakers, Jackson’s mind started playing tricks on him, as he had a dream of spanking star player Kobe Bryant. He detailed all this and more in his book Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.
“In the days that followed, we lost four out of five games, including a 105-81 “massacre” by the Spurs in the Alamodome. One night that week I had a dream about spanking Kobe and giving Shaq a smack”
http://t.co/b67dgrzX pic.twitter.com/GoNtvghO
— Grantland (@Grantland33) February 11, 2013
For context, Jackson’s dream wasn’t as weird as it sounds. In fact, it had to do with his general unhappiness about the way his team was handling a tough week.
Luckily, as we all know hard times are something that the Black Mamba is used to getting over.
Bryant had to fight hard to prove that he could win without Shaquille O’Neal
In 2004, the LA Lakers made the controversial decision to trade Shaquille O’Neal. The trade prompted many to claim that Kobe Bryant, who had been instrumental in seeing the trade go through, would never win a ring without Shaq. Unfortunately for those haters, they ended up on the wrong side of history.
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) June 17, 2020
It was a huge moment for Kobe, as he would surpass his former teammate who had four rings. One that truly exemplified his ‘Mamba Mentality’.
Also Read: Kobe Bryant had a Tattoo Appointment, Which was Scheduled for 2 Weeks After his Fatal Crash