Newsletter
Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Reading: Kobe Bryant Spoke On The Time Phil Jackson Had A Tai Chi Master Come To Practice: “I’m Pissed Because I’m Ready To Play Basketball, He’s Standing Up There And Says Everybody Closes Their Eyes And Stuff.”
Fadeaway WorldFadeaway World
Search
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Follow US
Home > NBA News & Analysis > Kobe Bryant Spoke On The Time Phil Jackson Had A Tai Chi Master Come To Practice: “I’m Pissed Because I’m Ready To Play Basketball, He’s Standing Up There And Says Everybody Closes Their Eyes And Stuff.”

Kobe Bryant Spoke On The Time Phil Jackson Had A Tai Chi Master Come To Practice: “I’m Pissed Because I’m Ready To Play Basketball, He’s Standing Up There And Says Everybody Closes Their Eyes And Stuff.”

Kobe Bryant spoke on the time when Phil Jackson had a Tai Chi master come to Lakers practice.

Gautam Varier
Oct 11, 2022
3 Min Read
Share

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Jackson had a lot of traits that made him one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. He was a great tactician and was brilliant when it came to man management, which was especially crucial considering the kind of players he was coaching.

One needs to understand the kind of buttons to push when dealing with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal and Jackson excelled at that. It helped win a record 11 NBA championships, but Jackson wasn’t just about doing things the conventional way.


Kobe Bryant Spoke On The Time Phil Jackson Had A Tai Chi Master Come To Practice

Jackson had his own innovative methods of helping his team get better, but that didn’t mean his players always bought into it immediately. In fact, they were a bit bewildered by it and Kobe Bryant was asked what was the weirdest thing Jackson had them do in practice during an interview in 2019.

(starts at 3:11 mark):

“He had a Tai Chi master come to practice. We walk out there, and the Tai Chi master standing center court and tells us to take our shoes off, (we) take our shoes off, and I’m pissed because I’m ready to play basketball, he’s standing up there and says everybody closes their eyes and stuff. And he does stuff like monk gazing at moon and talks about the fingertips and barely touching and the spirituality of all that, and I’m peaking around like is everybody doing this s**t? What the hell is going on? And then big ass Phil, Phil’s there doing it himself. He’s doing all this stuff and I’m like damn, okay imma try it. But honestly I bought into it, I bought into the meditation, I bought into the deeper connection that exists within the game.”

It would have been quite an experience for the players that day and while Bryant found it to be absurd earlier, he realized later that it was actually helpful. He incorporated all that into his own training and it was quite beneficial for him.

During this interview, Bryant also revealed that he trolled Jackson when he was getting criticized for the terrible job he was doing as president of the New York Knicks. He jokingly told Jackson that it was karma for the 3 books that Phil wrote on Bryant, where he didn’t paint him in a positive light, to say the least.

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Kobe Bryant
Share This Article
Facebook Email Copy Link Print
ByGautam Varier
Follow:
Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
Previous Article Who Deserves A Max Contract The Most Between Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, And Andrew Wiggins?
Next Article 2009 MVP Race: LeBron James Got Almost 500 Points More Than Kobe Bryant And Dwyane Wade To Win His First MVP Award
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Newsletter
Facebook X-twitter Instagram

You Might Also Like

JJ Redick
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

Richard Jefferson Reveals Major Flaw In JJ Redick’s Coaching

October 3, 2025
Luka Doncic
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

Austin Reaves Recalls Luka Doncic’s First Game Back In Dallas After Blockbuster Trade

October 3, 2025
Minnesota Timberwolves News & Analysis

Anthony Edwards Gets Real On Putting “Belt To A**” On Elite Players Like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry

October 3, 2025
Golden State Warriors News & Analysis

Steve Kerr Took A Page From Phil Jackson’s Book To Avoid Contract Distractions During Warriors’ Season

October 3, 2025

NBA - Fadeaway World

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Pages

  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA Media
  • Exclusive NBA Interviews
  • NBA 2K News & Updates

© 2025 Fadeaway World @ All Rights Reserved

  • About Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World Authors
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Contact Us
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?