Kobe Bryant was playing the best basketball of his career in the 2000-2001 NBA season and wanted to be the focal point of the Los Angeles Lakers' offense. Unfortunately, he had to play second fiddle or share that honor with the most dominant big man of all time, Shaquille O'Neal.
In the middle of it all was Phil Jackson . Having coached Michael Jordan and the Bulls, the Zen Master appeared to be the perfect guy to remedy the situation. Critics were calling on him to resolve the spat between Kobe and Shaq, and Jackson did just that.
Addressing Kobe's unhappiness
With Bryant unhappy, Jackson talked to the then 22-year-old Lakers guard. He tried to reason with the Black Mamba, explaining why he should stick to the team system. He used Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers as an example to back this up.
" You see how Iverson has to play, you see the abuse that he's giving his body? This is what's going to happen if you force that kind of activity. This tears up a guy's body ," Jackson told Bryant at the time via the New York Times .
Phil explained that the system was meant to preserve him for the more important battles—the playoffs. Shining in the regular season was one thing, but the real battle began in the postseason.
Some players end up either fading or missing in the playoffs due to burnout or injuries. Jackson's pitch to Kobe was that he needed to conserve his strength, especially if the Lakers were to win the title.
Phil Jackson was a master in managing egos
Basketball is a team game, although this does not prevent players from hogging the ball. Bryant had that problem early on in his career, which was something his teammates didn't like. Hence, there was a dysfunction from within, which was another problem that Zen Master needed to address.
It was nothing new for Phil, likening that situation to a marriage. But the main thing he needed to resolve was to get everyone in sync and prevent the problem from worsening.
" It's like a marriage. Marriage can go along blissfully and then someone can make a mistake and be in a very awkward position. And it upsets the whole apple cart ," Jackson explained.
Phil was able to knock some sense into Kobe and get him aligned with his philosophy. As a result, the Lakers went on to win the 2001 NBA title, becoming back-to-back championships.
Related: "He said he was tired of being Shaq's sidekick" - When Phil Jackson dropped the reason Kobe wanted to part ways with Shaq
Kobe and Shaq couldn't co-exist in the end
However, many noticed how Bryant didn't seem to be elated about winning the title. There was a photo of him sitting behind the trophy, looking completely emotionless.
It turns out that the 13th overall pick of the 1996 Draft had other problems than his role on the Lakers. He had a falling out with his parents because of his marriage to Vanessa Laine. Kobe's father, Joe Bryant, was uncomfortable with Vanessa and was uneasy with his son's selfless devotion to her .
With Kobe going through rough times, Phil had to find ways to manage the budding star. He was successful until 2002, delivering a third NBA crown and the Lakers second three-peat in franchise history. But after that, things went beyond control as the Shaq-Kobe-Jackson era slowly crumbled.
The biggest issue was O'Neal and Bryant's relationship, which got worse and worse until they couldn't coexist anymore. Shaq was traded in 2004 to Miami, where he managed to win his fourth ring alongside Dwyane Wade. Kobe beat him in the end, though, as he won his fourth and fifth NBA titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
Related: Phil Jackson shares who he would pick between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
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