"I actually told him you might become as good as Michael Jordan" - Phil Jackson's blatant advice that prompted Kobe Bryant to take smarter shots

Though Los Angeles Lakers icon Kobe Bryant found success early in his career, he knew he still had a lot to improve. The glaring hole in his game was shot inconsistency.

In one game, he would shoot 30 percent from the field; in the other, he would shoot over 60 percent. He needed to be more dependable and less erratic if he wanted to become a legend of the sport.

“I actually told him you might become as good as Michael Jordan,” Jackson said in 2000, via the Los Angeles Times.

Motivating the Mamba

Phil Jackson knew just the advice to share with his star shooting guard that would prompt him to make smarter shots. One part of the advice was the technical side: Bryant needed to get into the rhythm of the game, take wide-open shots, and not force them over two defenders.

The other, and perhaps most important part of the advice involved Michael Jordan. The Zen Master saw dramatic improvement in Kobe’s jumper.

“His choice of shots has just improved dramatically,” Jackson added. “He shot shots he could make [against the Clippers on Monday] 75%. That’s where guys have to make their decisions on shooting good shots.”

“My discussion with Kobe was, ‘You’re shooting 40% because you’re taking 40% shots. What you’ve got to do is start shooting shots that are going to get that percentage where you want it to be.’ Lately, he’s been very, very efficient in what he chooses. He’s made very good decisions.”

Though Bryant’s shooting percentage remained at 46 percent from the 1999-00 to 2000-01 season, he boosted his average to 28.5 points from 22.5. It was tangible evidence that he was just scratching the surface of his searing talents. It also taught Phil that he needed to mention Jordan’s name if he wanted the Lakers guard to follow his instructions.

Surpassing MJ

Perhaps that advice stuck with Kobe for the rest of his career. Bryant was already an obsessive who spent countless hours in the gym. The idea of surpassing Jordan held so much promise. So the one-time MVP turned up the notch by outworking his idol in every aspect. Jackson believes that the Lakers icon surpassed the Chicago Bulls legend in this regard.

“I don’t expect anybody to be able to model their behavior after that, although Kobe modeled his behavior a lot about Michael Jordan, he went beyond Michael in his attitude towards training, and I know Mike would probably question me saying that, but he did,” Jackson said.

Indeed, Michael and Kobe will always be mentioned together. The similarities between the two basketball titans are just too plentiful and too obvious to ignore. What’s great is that the two actually had a relationship off the court.

They had random conversations about the triangle at 3 a.m. and random dinners where they discussed everything and anything about life. While fans and the media pitted them against each other, they were spending quality time as little brother and big brother.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“I actually told him you might become as good as Michael Jordan” – Phil Jackson’s blatant advice that prompted Kobe Bryant to take smarter shots

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