Phil Jackson recalls hilarious story of how Kobe Bryant became Kobe Bryant during iconic encounter with Michael Jordan

Phil Jackson became the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1999, joining NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the stage. Jackson led the Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002.

Before becoming head coach of the Lakers, Phil Jackson coached Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Jackson was also a contributor to the Chicago Bulls’ two consecutive three-peat championships.

Phil Jackson at Kobe Bryant statue unveiling

Decades later, when the Lakers erected a massive bronze statue of Kobe Bryant on February 9, 2024, Phil Jackson left a story involving Kobe and GOAT Michael Jordan at the unveiling of the statue. of treasures.

Jackson revealed how he arranged a meeting between the two NBA legends to give Bryant a taste of how to handle a team-focused system rather than going all-out in one-on-one battles. However, Kobe strutted into the room and dropped a bombshell.

“Kobe walked in, sat down and said, ‘Michael, I can go one-on-one with you,'” Jackson recalled.

Kobe’s classic moves!

The entire room, including Kobe’s widow Vanessa Bryant, erupted in laughter and applause when told the story from a year ago.

Phil Jackson recalled with a laugh, “Michael said, ‘Well, I think you might. I’m 37 and you’re 22.'”

Kobe Bryant immortalized with statue

The Los Angeles Lakers have unveiled this giant bronze statue of Kobe Bryant, which stands proudly outside the Plaza of Stars at Crypto.com Arena. It’s a nod to Kobe’s epic game in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors, when he scored 81 points.

In the statue, Kobe is wearing his iconic No. 8 “Sunday White” jersey and pointing to the sky. In addition, he also has his daughters’ names tattooed on his arm, giving him a sweet touch. Pure poetry!

“For the record, Kobe chose the pose that you’re going to see, so if anyone has any doubts about that, it’s troublesome –” Kobe’s widow Vanessa said during the ceremony at the Plaza of Stars outside Crypto.com Arena said.

Vanessa Bryant concluded the ceremony. She was the last in a line-up of speakers that included Derek Fisher, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Phil Jackson.