Kobe Bryant explained how Phil Jackson understood his players on another level: 'He'd read everything about every single player'

Phil Jackson holds the record for the most NBA championships won by a coach, leading his teams to 11 titles. The "Zen Master" must've been doing something right, something beyond the technicalities of the game. Jackson's secret, according to Kobe Bryant, was how he studied his wards, analyzing his players in detail.

"Phil Jackson was great at that," Bryant said in an interview with Lewis Howes, referring to Jackson's ability to keep everybody on the same page. "Phil, he wouldn't just coach the team or coach the game, but he'd read everything about every single player. He'd learn about your history, how you grew up, how you were raised… He'll read every interview, and he'll learn about you, and that gives him a better understanding of what's motivating you."

"It helps him communicate with you better, or even push a button here if he needs to," the 2008 NBA MVP added.

"I learned it from Phil"

The "Black Mamba" admitted Phil's tactics had a lot to do with how he riled his teammates up to summon their best. The former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers coach gave Kobe a crash course on human psychology and behavior in 2003 after Shaquille O'Neal came back from an injury. 

As Bryant narrated, Jackson asked him to dial back his scoring to accommodate the big man, fearing the 2000 MVP might lose his focus.

"I looked at him and just like, 'This is one smart dude.' So, I pulled it back," Kobe remembered.

Jackson famously gifted his players books to read. Each topic corresponds to their personalities, and this kept the individuals engaged. For the rookies and new staff, Phil often gave a copy of Sacred Hoops, a book he wrote that tackles his philosophies and the Triangle's concept. For the team veterans, a book from the same author that he got for them before would suffice.

Bryant inevitably took a page out of Phil's book to get his teammates going.

"You have to pay attention to what your teammates or colleagues are saying and what certain things drive them, things that motivate them, trigger them," the 18-time All-Star stated. "One of my favorite ones, Pau (Gasol), hates it when I tell this story… We lost to the Celtics in 08, and it was a physical series. They beat the crap out of us. So, we went to the Olympics that year. We wound up playing Spain for the gold medal match, and we beat them."

Bryant purposely ruffled Gasol's feathers by hanging the gold medal in his locker. Kobe knew that, while Pau was a cool guy, all bets were off when it came to his country.

"It just drove him crazy. I said, 'Pau, listen. You lost to the Celtics; you lost to us in the gold medal match. Let's not make this three in a row this year, okay? Let's win this thing,'" recalled the two-time Finals MVP.

Did not turn out as well as expected

Jackson's methods were highly successful in Chicago and Los Angeles, but when he took over the reins as Knicks president, he barely moved the needle. 

He tried to bring in one of his Triangle disciples and Kobe's long-time backcourt mate, Derek Fisher, as a coach. This time around, however, psychology and human behavior went out the window, primarily because nobody accepted Phil's way of doing things.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Phil and D-Fish would give books to the Knicks, but the players did not receive the gesture well. Jackson gave Carmelo Anthony, the team's biggest star, Sam Smith's "There is No Next." 

It is a Jordan-centric book Jackson hoped Anthony would appreciate, thinking it would help the Syracuse product understand the intensity needed to win a championship.

As good as Jackson's intentions were, Melo called it "bad timing," especially since they were trying to implement a new system under a new coach and regime. 

When the smoke cleared, the Knicks went 80-166 under Jackson's leadership. They parted ways in 2017, while Fisher was fired in February 2016.

Phil's methods were only as effective as the players willing to embrace them. Kobe bought into it and trusted the process. The banners hanging at Crypto.com arena are proof of what happens when belief meets brilliance. For those who didn't, the story rarely had a happy ending.