{"id":1535052,"date":"2022-10-30T19:39:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-30T23:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1535052"},"modified":"2022-10-30T19:39:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-30T23:39:07","slug":"kobe-bryant-ruined-phil-jackson-master-plan-by-trash-talking-michael-jordan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/kobe-bryant-ruined-phil-jackson-master-plan-by-trash-talking-michael-jordan\/","title":{"rendered":"Kobe Bryant Ruined Phil Jackson's Master Plan by Trash-Talking Michael Jordan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the world of NBA players<\/a>, few men were as competitive as Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant<\/a>, however, came pretty close. The Lakers legend wanted to be just like Mike, and that practice included a refusal to back down from any challenge. And while that inner fire helped Kobe become an all-time great, things didn't always work out as planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just ask Phil Jackson about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their time together, the Zen Master hatched a plan to try and bring Bryant out of his shell and focus on collective success rather than individual greatness. Jackson hoped that meeting with His Airness, who obviously knew a thing or two about winning, would help the young guard change his mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kobe, of course, had a different idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kobe Bryant could resist trash-talking Michael Jordan during a motivational meeting <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Kobe
Kobe Bryant (R) guards Michael Jordan (L) during one of their on-court encounters. | Vince Bucci \/AFP via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the sidelines, Phil Jackson was known to use all sorts of unconventional techniques<\/a> to get the best out of his players. When it came to Kobe Bryant, though, the coach kept things rather normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I admired Kobe's ambition,” Jackson explained in an excerpt of his book, 11 Rings<\/em>, shared by ESPN<\/a>. “But I also felt that he needed to break out of his protective chrysalis if he wanted to win the ten rings he told his teammates he was shooting for. Obviously, basketball isn't an individual sport. To achieve greatness, you must rely on the good offices of others. But Kobe had yet to reach out to his teammates and try to get to know them. Instead of spending time with them after games, he usually went back to his hotel room to study tapes or chat with his high-school friends on the phone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Zen Master knew that Bryant idolized Michael Jordan and, with that in mind, pulled an ace out of his sleeve. Perhaps His Airness could show Kobe the error of his ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When we played in Chicago that season, I orchestrated a meeting between the two stars, thinking that Michael might help shift Kobe's attitude toward selfless teamwork,” the bench boss explained. Bryant, however, wasn't in the mood for a friendly chat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After they shook hands, the first words out of Kobe's mouth were, ‘You know I can kick your ass one on one,'” Jackson concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bryant ultimately got the message and changed his ways without compromising his competitive edge <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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