Throughout NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers have been home to a roster that includes some of the leagueās most iconic legends. Players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant have left an indelible mark on the league. For many players, joining the Lakers represents a golden opportunity to shine in one of the leagueās biggest markets. Recently, even a former NBA champion confessed to regretting not playing alongside a Lakers legend.
āIāve often wondered what playing with (Kobe Bryant) wouldāve been like. Beside (Bryant), you know? What would we have been like? If playing with (Paul Pierce) was like this, then playing with (Bryant) wouldāve been like what?,ā Kevin Garnett said, via GQ.
Although Kevin Garnett did not refer to winning more championships, he claimed victory just once, securing the 2008 title with the Boston Celtics. If he had joined Kobe Bryant in LA, he likely would have won more, since the Lakersā legend captured five championships. His comments highlight the strong legacy Kobe left in the NBA as a symbol of hard work and dedication.
Furthermore, Kevin Garnett said he was close to joining the Los Angeles Lakers. In an interview with Dan Patrick, he explained the reasons why he rejected his arrival to the historic franchise. āWhatās disturbing about the whole Lakers situation was just Kobe (Bryant) and Phil (Jackson) at the time. They were at each other pretty bad, and a new situation full of uncertainty wasnāt something that I wanted to get into,ā as reported by CBS News in 2011.
Kobe Bryant #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center on October 28, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.
How did the Kobe BryantāPhil Jackson feud start in Los Angeles?
In the 2003-04 season, the Lakers were defeated 4-1 by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. However, not only did they lose the championship, but it was the beginning of the rift between Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. In his book āEleven Rings: The Soul of Successā, the legendary head coach confessed the reasons behind the breakup.
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āThe Kobe incident triggered all my unprocessed anger and tainted my perception of himā¦ It distorted my view of Kobe throughout the 2003-04 season. No matter what I did to extinguish it, the anger kept smoldering in the background,ā he wrote. In addition, Phil confessed that this incident was very personal to him because his daughter had gone through a similar episode.
Despite Phil Jacksonās departure from the franchise at the end of the 2003-04 season, he returned for the 2005-06 season. During his comeback, both stars reconciled and went on to secure two more championships. Had the Kobe-Phil feud never occurred, there was a possibility that Kevin Garnett could have joined the team, allowing him to play alongside the legendary Kobe Bryant.
