Back in 2004, after winning three titles together, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson parted ways. Their relationship reached a point where they were taking shots at each other through the media. The Zen Master went on to publish his book, "The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul," in which he opened up about why he no longer wanted to coach Kobe.
When Bryant was asked about Jackson 's excerpt about him in the book, the Black Mamba shrugged it off and simply said it was done out of publicity.
"He's just trying to sell books. I'll just leave it at that," Bryant said , as reported by ESPN . "I wish him the best at whatever he's doing now. I have responsibilities here, and that's what I have to take care of. That's it."
What Jackson said about Bryant
During the last year of the Kobe-Shaq Lakers dynasty, Jackson said that he could no longer tolerate Bryant. The 11-time champion felt that Kobe's ego was too big and wouldn't listen to Jackson's commands. On top of that, the coach revealed that he and Mamba often got into arguments with heated words involved which really dented their relationship.
That's why the Zen Master wrote in his book that he made a vow not to come back the following year, especially if the superstar shooting guard was still on board.
Jackson's words obviously caught a lot of eyeballs, and it made Bryant look worse, especially since this all happened in the aftermath of his split with O'Neal. But in fairness to the five-time champion, Mitch Kupchak — who was the general manager of the Lakers at that time — always had Kobe's back, even to the point that he told Jackson that he'd choose the franchise player over him.
"You're the coach; you figure it out. And if you're not gonna do it, I'll find somebody else to do it. But if it comes down to Kobe or you, I'm keeping Kobe ," Kupchak told Phil.
Related: "He said he was tired of being Shaq's sidekick" - When Phil Jackson dropped the reason Kobe wanted to part ways with Shaq
How Kobe and Phil made amends
After two years apart, Jackson and Bryant both felt that they had unfinished business. Perhaps the time away made both realize how much they needed each other to win. Kobe realized that while Rudy Tomjanovich coached him and while he was an intelligent and commanding leader, he wasn't Jackson.
As for Phil, he was interested in the Lakers job after taking two years off not because of the money involved but the opportunity to reunite with Bryant. Jackson knew that Kobe had a lot left in the tank and that he was the perfect player to build a franchise around. Before reuniting though, Jackson made sure to talk to him.
"I sat and talked to Kobe before I took the job. Kobe had made a choice to go at it alone, and we had to talk about it. I said to Kobe, 'you know, are you willing to come back and be a coachable player?' He said 'yeah.' You know that it's gonna take a while for us to get back and win? 'Yeah, I know.' Jackson revealed in episode 8 of Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers documentary.
Suffice it to say that the time Bryant and Jackson spent away from each other was what helped them win two more championships, and it also contributed to their individual growth — both on and off the court.
Related: "That guy put in the work" - Phil Jackson said his proudest Kobe Bryant moment was when he defended his teammate on Jimmy Kimmel
Local News
Comments / 0