I will be sure to cop Phil Jackson’s book when it’s released on Tuesday, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.” It sounds crazy from what I’ve read! It’s such a revealing look at Kobe, Jordan, the Lakers & so much more. Check out this great story the Zen Master tells about a meeting he helped arrange between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant during the 1999-2000 season.
Via SlamOnline:
Per the LA Times:
“It’s pretty easy to figure out who Jackson was referencing in the following passage: ‘In his mind he had it all figured out. His goal was to become the greatest basketball player of all time. And he was certain he knew what he had to do to get there. Why should he listen to anybody else? If he followed my advice and cut back his scoring, he’d fall short of his ultimate goal. How was I going to get through to this kid?’ It wasn’t Jordan. As a young 20-something, Bryant told Lakers teammates he wanted to win 10 rings but was a ‘stubborn, hard-headed learner,’ Jackson wrote. […] Jackson couldn’t help but include a humorous face-to-face meeting between Bryant and Jordan in his first season as the Lakers’ coach. ‘Kobe was hell-bent on surpassing Jordan as the greatest player in the game. His obsession with Michael was striking,’ Jackson said. ‘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. After they shook hands, the first words out of Kobe’s mouth were, ‘You know I can kick your ass one on one.’”
