JAYFORCE

Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson has coached 2 of the greatest NBA players to have ever played the game. For years he’s dodged the primary question most sports fans & reporters have desperately wanted him to answer. Now that he’s making the media rounds promoting his new book, Phil Jackson is finally speaking out. Phil Jackson compares Air Jordan to the Black Mamba in the above video of his interview with Jay Leno. Jay referenced Jackson’s book, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success (due out May 21, 2013; available for pre-order at Amazon) in guiding their talk in this direction. In it, and in the above clip, Coach Jackson declares that both Jordan and Bryant are world class competitors; matched up in several aspects, but there are key differences, according to one of the few men in the world who can really say so. Coach ‘Zen Master’ also talks about how he set up a meeting between the two and his near-return to the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench. Kobe recently took to twitter & didn’t exactly seem too pleased with his former coach’s comparisons.  I’d have to agree with Phil though….

The comparisons are #apples2oranges Wonder what the perception would be if M played wit @shaq instead #differentroles #differentcareerpaths

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 17, 2013

More video after the jump below…..

Listen friends of bball; don’t get hung up on words. I was most fortunate to have the chance to coach two of the greatest gds. EVER MJ/Kobe

— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) May 17, 2013