We begin in the early days of the budding dynasty:
The other players on the team wanted to make sure [Kobe] earned everything he got, that the coach didnt just give him something just because the fans wanted to see this young phenom play, recalled Del Harris, Bryants first coach with the Lakers.
That was especially true of Shaquille ONeal, the games dominant young center who felt immense pressure to win championships. Each season his dislike of Bryant had grown.
What surprised me about Shaquille during our early days in Los Angeles was how frustrated he got, said former Lakers GM Jerry West. He was not fun to be around. The shortcomings of our team and his teammates made him angry because he knew he was going to be judged on how much we won.
How angry?
Just months before Jackson arrived, ONeal had slapped
Bryant during a pickup game at the Laker practice facility. It would not be forgotten, former Laker guard Derek Fisher said of the incident.
When Jackson and his coaching staff began work in Los Angeles, they were caught off guard by ONeals level of animosity toward Bryant.
There was a lot of hatred in his heart, Tex Winter said of ONeal. he would speak his mind in our team meetings. He was saying really hateful things. Kobe just took it and kept going.
The other players on the team wanted to make sure [Kobe] earned everything he got, that the coach didnt just give him something just because the fans wanted to see this young phenom play, recalled Del Harris, Bryants first coach with the Lakers.
That was especially true of Shaquille ONeal, the games dominant young center who felt immense pressure to win championships. Each season his dislike of Bryant had grown.
What surprised me about Shaquille during our early days in Los Angeles was how frustrated he got, said former Lakers GM Jerry West. He was not fun to be around. The shortcomings of our team and his teammates made him angry because he knew he was going to be judged on how much we won.
How angry?
Just months before Jackson arrived, ONeal had slapped
Bryant during a pickup game at the Laker practice facility. It would not be forgotten, former Laker guard Derek Fisher said of the incident. When Jackson and his coaching staff began work in Los Angeles, they were caught off guard by ONeals level of animosity toward Bryant.
There was a lot of hatred in his heart, Tex Winter said of ONeal. he would speak his mind in our team meetings. He was saying really hateful things. Kobe just took it and kept going.
@ trying to spin getting the spit slapped out your mouth.
Dem niccas tried everything to break dude.
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