Phil Jackson not only knows how to win NBA championship rings as a head coach (11); He also treats the league’s biggest stars like no one else. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are examples of this.
In fact, this “Zen Master” helped MJ win six championships with the Chicago Bulls, and he also won five championships with the Black Mamba team of the Los Angeles Lakers, divided into two different stages. Furthermore, he displays complicity at the level of his relationship to the two aforementioned myths of the sport.
For this reason, Jackson has countless anecdotes related to these two celebrities, so he had the pleasure of revealing one in particular.
“During All-Star Weekend (before the 2002 All-Star Game), the three of us were smoking on the stairs of the stadium bar and Kobe told Michael he could beat him one-on-one,” the legendary former coach admitted during the unveiling of the late Kobe Bryant’s statue ceremony was held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. “Well, I guess you can do it, I’m 37 and you’re 22,” Jordan replied.
For many experts, Michael Jordan is the best player in basketball history, while others add that Kobe Bryant is the closest to the six-time NBA Finals MVP in terms of skill and attitude on the court.