"Kobe was a juvenile narcissist": Phil Jackson called out the one major difference between Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest basketball players of all time. Both men had a storied career and ended up with a plethora of awards and accolades.

Both men had plenty of similarities, from their style of play, their determination, and their mentality when approaching the game of basketball. Because of this, they are often included in the GOAT conversation and fans sometimes argue which one of the two was a better player overall.

Another similarity between Bryant and Jordan was that they were coached by the legendary Phil Jackson. As such, he would certainly be the best person to address the similarities and differences between the two superstar athletes.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were coached by Jackson from 1999 to 2004 and then again from 2005-2011. His time with the Lakers was filled with tension which originated from Bryant's lack of trust towards his teammates and his negative response to Jackson's coaching. During this time, Phil Jackson would become a first-hand witness to the differences between Kobe and MJ.

Jeff Pearlman's book titled "Three-Ring Circus: Kobe, Shaq, Phil, and the Crazy Years of the Lakers Dynasty" showed what Phil saw as the major difference between the two,

"I did a lot of studying about juvenile narcissism, and juvenile narcissists are the worst because they think they only deserve the best." Jackson said, "They want to be the leaders. They don’t accept counseling or advice. You can’t criticize them. Kobe [Bryant] was a juvenile narcissist."(via sportscasting.com)

On the other hand, he had this to say about Michael Jordan,

"Michael was receptive to criticism, he wouldn't always agree but he would hear you out. Kobe didn't have that."

Despite both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan's winning mentality and killer instinct, what set the two apart was Jordan's willingness to hear things out.

In spite of all this, Bryant and Jackson were able to work together at the end of the day to deliver more championships to the LA Lakers franchise.

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A side-by-side comparison of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant's careers

Michael Jordan came to the NBA in 1984 as the third overall pick, and Kobe Bryant would join the league many years later in 1996 as the 13th pick. Michael Jordan is best known for the legendary Chicago Bulls dynasty that won six championships in the 90's.

Meanwhile, Kobe played for 20 seasons with the LA Lakers. During his career, he won five titles. Both men are highly decorated and here are the awards that both men won throughout their career.

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Kobe Bryant's NBA awards

• 5x Champion
• 2x Finals MVP
• 1x League MVP
• 18x All-star
• 4x All-star game MVP
• 11x All-NBA First Team
• 2x All-NBA Second Team
• 2x All-NBA Third Team
• 9x All-defensive first-team
• 3x All-defensive second team
• 2x scoring champion
• 1x Slam Dunk contest champion
• All-rookie second team
• NBA 75th Anniversary team

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Michael Jordan's NBA awards

• 6x Champion
• 6x Finals MVP
• 5x League MVP
• 1x Defensive Player of the Year
• Rookie of the year
• 10x scoring leader
• 3x steals leader
• 14x All-star
• 3x All-star game MVP
• 10x All-NBA First Team
• 1x All-NBA Second Team
• 9x All-defensive first-team
• NBA All-rookie first team
• 2x Slam Dunk contest champion
• NBA 75th Anniversary team