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Robert Horry says Phil started the Kobe/Shaq feud


Makaveli
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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – There’s nothing like news from Russia that the Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant feud that fueled the Lakers all those years was the creation of Phil Jackson.

 

Stunner, huh?

 

Not exactly. But when Robert Horry weighs in on the topic, from Russian website Sports.Ru (translation courtesy of Alexander Chernykh and his Rush’n Hoops blog):

 

I think Phil Jackson started that feud. It happened many times that after team practice he would say, “Kobe said this about Shaq, and Shaq said that about Kobe… We couldn’t believe how could that happen, because just the day before we saw them together, jumping on one another. Phil liked it when there was conflict of some sort.

 

more: http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/01/23/horry-phil-created-shaq-v-kobe/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

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A lot of successful duo's don't necessarily like each other personally, Phil is a strategist so I would not put this past him; KB and Shaq's achievements in such a small amount of time together is proof and point that the hypothesis could be successful.

Edited by Art Hues
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Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Kobe and Shaq have a few run-ins before Phil was even the coach? These two guys were polar opposites, it wouldn't of mattered who was coach, conflict was inevitable.

For different reasons. Shaq just punked the young Kobe because he wasn't really someone that went to parties, celebrated with the team at big events, etc...and all of that was because he wasn't even old enough to drink, and was pretty reserved to begin with. I believe these are Derek Fisher's words.

 

The biggest conflict was happening when Kobe was older, and became an all-star, climbing the superstar ladder. Coincidentally, it was around the time Phil took over the team, and the Lakers were in their dynasty years.

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I don't doubt Phil played a big part in facilitating the feud, but Shaq and Kobe were both very wrong for running with it. And once they ran with it and Phil needed them to pull back the reigns, the team was too far gone. Everyone was at fault for what happened.

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