Phil Jackson Details Jordan and Kobe Comparison in New Book

Special to the NNPA from The St. Louis American

In his new book, co-written with Hugh Delehanty and entitled “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” Phil Jackson breaks down what separated Jordan from Bryant, the biggest stars and personalities that he coached during his Hall of Fame career.

The Los Angeles Times, which received an advance copy of the 339-page book, provided some details of Jackson’s Jordan and Bryant comparison.

In terms of advantages, the biggest that Jordan has over Bryant comes in the leadership department, according to Jackson.

“One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael’s superior skills as a leader,” Jackson writes. “Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim. He talked a good game, but he’d yet to experience the cold truth of leadership in his bones, as Michael had in his bones.”

Jackson, who coached Jordan to six titles with the Chicago Bulls and Bryant to five with the Los Angeles Lakers, also compared the players’ defensive skills and accuracy. Once again, Jackson sided with Jordan.

Information from Espn.com and the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.