When you talk about the greatest coaches in NBA history, Phil Jackson’s name has to be in the conversation. He won a record 11 championships in just 20 seasons as a head coach with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was fortunate that he got to coach some of the game’s all-time greats like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, but on the flip side, both of those NBA icons never won a title without Jackson. Jordan, in particular, has always had a very strong relationship with Phil.
Ahmad Rashad, who was a very good friend of MJ, once recalled a conversation that went on after he and Jordan attended a Lakers game. The two met up in a room with Jackson and Kobe, where Jackson asked Jordan to come to the Lakers’ practice, and he also suggested that MJ play 1-on-1 with Kobe!
via GQ:
Phil Jackson was talking to Michael about coming out and helping the Lakers at practice or something like that. And then it was like, “You guys can play one-on-one.” Kobe was not backing down. He wanted to play. [laughs] And they got a little back and forth, and then when we were leaving the building, we’re leaving the arena, and Michael goes, “You know, I really respect that kid. Really respect that kid.”
Kobe was always eager to go up against MJ and wanted to beat him, even telling him once that he’d kick his a** in a 1-on-1. It is a pity we didn’t get to see these two go up against each other at their peak, as that would have been a sight to behold.
Ahmad Rashad Did Play 1-On-1 Against Michael Jordan
While Kobe and Jordan never went at it, Rashad did play 1-on-1 with MJ once. While Rashad became famous for being an exceptional broadcaster, he was also an excellent player in the NFL in the late-1970s. He built up a great relationship with Jordan during his broadcasting career, and the two remain close to this day.
On one occasion, when he was hanging out with Jordan, Rashad asked him to play 1-on-1 with him, with MJ initially denying his request. He eventually agreed and proceeded to absolutely dominate, as he wouldn’t even allow Rashad to dribble the ball. It was typical of Jordan to take it that seriously, and his good friend Kobe would have done the exact same thing in that situation.
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