Lakers News: Phil Jackson Honors Other Purple And Gold Alums In Moving Kobe Bryant Speech

Jackson helped lead the Lakers to five NBA titles.

Former NBA head coach Phil Jackson has left a legacy throughout the league. He has 11 NBA championships as a head coach and is widely regarded as the best coach in history.

He was fortunate enough to work with a few of the greatest players in the history of basketball, but he managed to find ways to pull the right strings. The former Lakers coach helped Los Angeles win five titles over his tenure with the team.

During the enveilment of the late Kobe Bryant's statue outside Crypto.com Arena, Jackson made an appearance. He gave a moving speech and honored his former player in the best way he could.

Phil Jackson welcomes in former Kobe Bryant teammates at the statue unveiling💜💛 pic.twitter.com/cVHYuQuj4X

— All Lakers - AllLakers.com (@thelakers248) February 9, 2024

Bryant and Jackson's relationship wasn't perfect whatsoever, at least at the start, but they found ways to work through it. They respected one another for their competitive spirit, and the two men were able to build a powerful basketball team.

Jackson knew how to push Bryant in ways others may not have due to his work with legend Michael Jordan. Bryant and Jordan were similar players in their mentality toward the game, so Jackson knew how to get the most out of them.

Bryant had a stubbornness to the way he approached the game of basketball, but it made him successful. He only took direction from those he deemed on his level basketball-wise, and Jackson was one of those people.

The two cared for each other and became champions along the way. That can never be taken away, and their legacies within the Lakers communities will never be forgotten over time.