Phil Jackson was blessed enough to guide a countless collection of talents throughout his illustrious career. But if he had to make a choice in selecting a single one from the three notable icons he coached, he wouldn’t think twice about identifying Michael Jordan as his top bet.
Jackson recently appeared in a business forum conducted by entrepreneur JT Foxx and answered several questions about basketball and career.
When Foxx asked the legendary mentor who he prefers to start a team around between Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal, the 79-year-old answered the Chicago Bulls great and simply offered an intriguing reason.
Both Jackson and Jordan had their fair share of dramas and differences during their glorious partnership in building the Bulls dynasty in the 1990s. Yet in the end, Jordan still deeply respected Jackson and always listened to his words as his coach.
“Michael Jordan has got to be the first pick. He was extremely coachable,” Jackson said, sparking applause and cheers within the room.
Relatively, just beyond Jordan’s infamous practice sucker punch against Steve Kerr, the two didn’t hold any bitter or highly publicized feuds with each other which is considerably mild compared to what Jackson had endured with Bryant and O’Neal, respectively.
Despite their success of winning three-straight titles in the Los Angeles Lakers, Jackson found hardships in managing his star duo. Jackson was frustrated by O’Neal’s poor conditioning, lowly free-throw mechanics, weight management, and laid-back lifestyle. He was also a staunch critic of Bryant’s selfishness and lack of confidence in his teammates.
Notably, in his book ‘The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul’ which narrates the Lakers’ lopsided 2003-04 season, Jackson vented his ill feelings for both O’Neal and Bryant. He particularly blasted Bryant for being “uncoachable” and detailed his desperate attempts to finally break up with O’Neal in L.A. These criticisms didn’t sit well with the superstar guard.
Despite the bitter on-court conflicts that Jackson formed with O’Neal and Bryant, he still managed to recover his relationship with them.
Over the years, O’Neal always paid tribute to Jackson’s impact and legacy on and off the court. In some instances, the former star big man called Jackson the best coach ever, crediting him with sharing plenty of life advice and philosophies.
As for Kobe, their second run in Los Angeles paved the way for them to reconcile for the better. With a much matured Bryant at his side, Jackson managed to help the Lakers regain its glory in the late 2000s, winning two more NBA titles in three consecutive Finals appearances.
At the end of the day amid differences, Jackson still found relative success with both Bryant and O’Neal. Even though their bond has been imperfect and was severely tested over time, they still get the job done which made them undisputed icons of the game.
Related Posts
