Phil Jackson coached Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant at the peak of their respective careers.
After Jackson was done winning championships with the Bulls and headed west to coach the Lakers in 1999, he brought in a semi-retired Jordan to counsel his young star.
Jackson, appearing on Fox Sports Live on Wednesday, said he had Kobe waiting in the Lakers’ chairman’s room for his pep talk. Jackson had hoped that Jordan could talk to Kobe about patience and allowing “the game to come to him.”
When Jordan walked into the room, “first thing Kobe says is, ‘I could kick your ass one-on-one,’ ” Jackson said.
Precious.
Which all begs the question, who would Jackson take—MJ or Kobe? Well, you might remember the Zenmaster made his pick in his most recent book.