Former Laker coach Phil Jackson spoke at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference recently with some interesting things to say. Jackson joined New England Patriots president Jonathan Kraft on panel called Building A Dynasty and shared some thoughts on his experiences with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Jackson dove into the Kobe-Shaq relationship:
Jackson said that the rift between Shaq and Kobe came down to Shaq opting for surgery before camp and in Kobe's mind it cost them 4th title
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 28, 2014
Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal constituted one of the most dominant duos in NBA history winning three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002. Their quest for a fourth consecutive championship fell short when they lost to eventual champions San Antonio Spurs in the second round.
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Kobe’s competitiveness and work ethic has been well documented over the years and comparisons to Michael Jordan have often been made and debated. Jackson commented on what Kobe learned from Jordan according to Kyler:
Jackson said Michael Jordan worked to overcome his own deficiencies… Said Kobe saw that and exceeded it in his own preparation.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 28, 2014
Kobe’s drive for greatness is no secret to anyone who has been following basketball. He obviously wants to be considered the best and stops at nothing to ensure he wins. This desire often leads to chemistry issues with teammates who do not share the same motivation.
Shaq was seen as the most dominant big men of his time and a force that barely anyone in the NBA was able to stop. Jackson chimed in and said the game came easy to Shaq according to Kyler:
Phil Jackson says he could never get Shaq on scale… Said Shaq never worked very hard. The game was too easy for him…
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 28, 2014
It should come to no surprise why Kobe and Shaq could not get along in their last years together. While news about their issues are nothing new, these additional insights from Jackson shed further light on what exactly transpired to end that Laker dynasty.
All Laker fans can do is look back and hope the Lakers could get back to their winning ways in the upcoming years.
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