Phil Jackson coached LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant in five championship teams, yet the most successful head coach in NBA history candidly admitted that the Lakers paid a lot to keep the injured star with them for the next two years after Bryant signed a $48.5 million contract extension earlier in the season.
"They paid him more than I would have gone for, but what he's given to this organization, what he gives back, he brings a certain sense of, 'We're going to win!' " Jackson said during an interview with NBA TV aired on Thursday and as reported by ESPN.com. "You got to have a guy on the team that doesn't settle for second. That's one of the areas where the value of Kobe, even at this age, is terrific."
Despite his injuries, Bryant will return as a potent scorer, predicts Jackson.
"I think he'll be back. I think Kobe is going to be still a scorer. He can score."
Jackson then compared Bryant to his most popular player, Michael Jordan and mentioned their similarities especially on the offensive end. He said: "We saw Michael Jordan at the end of his career still scoring 20 points a game and he was 37-38, I think. Maybe he was 38-39, I can't really remember. But I think Kobe can still post up. I think he can still be a good screen-roll player. He's going to hit shots. He can still shoot the 3-pointer. I think he's really realistic about it. He's really pleased. He felt like, you know, I will come back."
Bryant is still recuperating from a knee injury he suffered in December while playing the Memphis Grizzlies. He had returned from a torn Achilles and averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in six games.
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