Bluegrassrivals

So comes and goes a familiar dance for Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant(notes), the push and pull of history’s most prolific coach and a generation’s most prolific player. Jackson calls out Bryant for obliterating his sacred triangle offense with too much shooting, and Bryant fires back at Jackson about his “Zen B.S.,” and the bickering comes and goes like that of an old married couple.

“When you’ve been around Phil for as many years as I have, we all understand that he likes coaching publicly,” Bryant told reporters on Monday. “I think it’s important for the new guys to understand that – Ron [Artest], Pau [Gasol], guys that kind of have issues with that. That’s how he coaches. … Just let him do his job and go about your business.”

For this team, there’s no cruise control. Jackson has to coach this season, and maybe make some changes with the arrogant and condescending way that he conducts business in public. It had been one thing to raise the ire of rival coaches when he questioned the future of Eric Spoelstra and the past of Stan Van Gundy. He’s dismissed the legitimacy of titles Rudy Tomjanovich and Gregg Popovich won with Michael Jordan playing baseball and a lockout-shortened season. He can live with stirring those outside his gymnasium, but his constant public griping on Artest and Gasol could come with a price.

At a recent practice, league sources said, Artest loudly confronted Jackson. As he tried to fit into the defending champions a season ago and earn his way, Artest grudgingly went along with Jackson’s public floggings. This season, Artest has less tolerance for it. Essentially, Artest told Jackson that if he wants to coach him, coach him. Just stop embarrassing him in public.

Phil has certainly become bitter and his snipes get more pointed each year. What happened to this Zen Philosophy? The way he verbally lashes out, that is not the way of the Zen-Master. He loves to stir the pot, but he realizes that he does not need to be liked. I do believe that he believes that the team needs focus, and if that focus is to dislike him, then he will have accomplished his goal. A focused team, will play better as a team.

I trust Phil's methods.
Ron Artest will talk to his pyschiatrist and he'll get over it.

Ron Artest is the biggest Cut Throat in all of basketball and needs to be embarrassed. Sometimes coaches embarrass the players to teach them a lesson, but if Phil is doing it then I am almost positive he has a good reason for. Same thing goes for Kobe, IMO these loses here lately have been on his shoulders more because instead of getting his teammates involved when he is ice cold he forces up bad shots, then complains to his teammates when they make a mistake or lack of effort when they make a mistake, when Kobe has been making the same mistakes lately.

Not good for hopes of a 3 peat Aslan.
Sure hope you haven't forgotten our Avatar bet for the playoffs