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Coby White shares what Phil Jackson told him about the difference between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant
The Chicago Bulls is an iconic franchise that has produced some of the NBA’s greats. Last weekend, the latest iteration of the Bulls met one of the franchise’s legends—Phil Jackson—which left them in awe. Coby White, the rising star of the Chicago Bulls, shared his experience meeting Jackson, saying he didn’t realize how huge the legendary 6-foot-8 coach is.
“He’s huge,” White said.
Q&A with the players
Jackson was supposed to meet with the players during the Ring of Honor weekend. However, that plan didn’t push through, but it eventually did when the Bulls visited Los Angeles, where Jackson has a home. The Zen Master entertained questions from the players, and White did not hesitate to ask Jackson about two of the greatest players to lace them up—Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
White asked Jackson about the similarities and differences between coaching Jordan and Bryant. Jackson replied that both players were incredibly talented and competitive, but the main difference was how they approached the game mentally.
“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,” White narrated.
Inspirational meeting
Aside from White, other players also got to ask Jackson some questions, but the most hilarious one came from Torrey Craig, who asked if the multi-titled coach could convince coach Billy Donovan to give him time off to go to Las Vegas, much like Jackson did with Dennis Rodman back in 1998.
Upon hearing the query, Donovan quickly retorted, “Hey TC, if you rebound like Rodman, I will!”
The meeting served as a moment that most of these players will never forget.
“If you love the game of basketball, it should inspire you. He has 11 championships. He’s a legend, a Hall of Fame coach, if not the best coach of all time. So for us, it should motivate us as a unit and a team to grow,” White shared.
