Phil Jackson has been remarkably open and frank about his tumultuous first season in New York and his past stints with the Bulls and Lakers in a series of interviews with Charlie Rosen for ESPN, and in an interview published Monday, Jackson recounts how difficult his relationship with Kobe Bryant was at times.
In February, Kobe Bryant reflected on his career in an interview with GQ, and argued that he could have left the Lakers before signing a contract extension in 1999 and taken over the league. Bryant also had some harsh words for Jackson, who had been critical of Bryant at the time.