Phil Jackson has provided a fresh take on the difference between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.
Jackson, who coached the Bulls to six championships and the Lakers to five, recently caught up with Bulls management and players.
Chicago point guard Coby White said he took the opportunity to ask Jackson about the differences between Kobe and MJ.
“Because I know Kobe really tried to emulate Mike, MJ,” White said, according to NBC Sports Chicago.
“The main thing he said was that Kobe didn’t have a conscience and Michael Jordan did. Basically, he said if after the game Mike wasn’t 50 percent from the field, he would kind of be disappointed. Kobe could go 7-for-25 and he really didn’t care.”
Jackson has discussed the topic before, but he touched on something different when comparing the two legendary players in the past.
“Michael was more charismatic and gregarious than Kobe,” Jackson said in his memoir, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success. “He loved hanging out with his teammates and security guards, playing cards, smoking cigars, and joking around.”
Of course, Bryant and Jordan shared many traits, such as an insatiable work ethic and an unparalleled desire to win.
Jordan set a new standard for basketball greatness and became a cultural icon, while Bryant, heavily influenced by his idol, carved out his own legacy as an equally fierce competitor and dedicated winner.
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