Free On the Court With... Kobe Bryant by Matt Christopher Page A

season was over.
    Finally.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
1999-2000
Triangle Turnaround
    It was obvious to everyone that the Lakers needed to change something if they were ever going to reach their potential. Some
     observers speculated that either O’Neal or Bryant would be traded. Or perhaps both, players would be shipped off and the Lakers
     would embark on a total rebuilding program.
    But Jerry West still believed the Lakers had all the players in place to win a championship. What they needed was someone
     to get it all to work together.
    As coach of the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson had developed a reputation as a man who could get talented players with big egos
     to play together. For the Bulls, despite the presence of Michael Jordan, hadn’t managed to win a championship until Jackson
     became coach.
    He had installed an offense known as the triangle, a strategy that took advantage of both Jordan’s skills and those of star
     forward Scottie Pippen. As a result,he had gotten the most from each player.
    The triangle was new to pro basketball. Traditionally, most offenses had been designed to isolate a particular player one-on-one.
     As a team moved the ball across half-court, players set up in specific positions on the court and the point guard, out on
     top, called out the play and put it in motion, usually by a pass to another player. But if the defense broke up the play or
     it was disrupted for another reason, the player with the ball usually had few options. The ball was sent back out and another
     play was called. The role of each player was strictly defined.
    But the triangle was different. Simply put, it demanded that the players react to what the defense did, depending on the motion
     and movement of each player. Each player had to be able to read the defense, learn how to react, and pass to the open man.
    Although the offense was demanding, it wasn’t rigid. There was plenty of room for creativity. When it worked, the ball zipped
     back and forth and players ran and cut all over the floor until someone worked free and finished the play, usually with a
     wide open jump shot or a layup or dunk from in close. It allowed the individual player to flourish and stay involved.
    Jordan and the Bulls had worked the offense toperfection. But that hadn’t been the only key to their success.
    Jackson’s personality was much different from that of most NBA coaches. He viewed the game of basketball in human terms and
     appreciated it for its capacity to bring individuals together in pursuit of a common goal. While many had first scoffed at
     his approach, his record of success in Chicago was undeniable.
    After Michael Jordan had retired, Jackson had resigned and sat out the 1998-99 season. Now he was ready to return to coaching.
     He let the Lakers know he wanted to come to Los Angeles. In Bryant and O’Neal, he saw two players he believed would thrive
     in the triangle, for each could both pass the ball and score. West believed that if anyone could get O’Neal and Bryant to
     work together, it was Jackson, so he named Jackson coach. West believed that if anyone could get O’Neal and Bryant to work
     together, it was Jackson.
    Critics questioned the hiring, saying that the only reason reason Jackson had been so successful in Chicago was because Michael
     Jordan was a member of the Bulls. Getting the Lakers to play together, they argued, would be an entirely different challenge.
    But O’Neal and Bryant, for all their differences,were actually quite similar. Each had been expected to be a star since entering the league, and each had been something of
     a disappointment. Both players were still referred to in terms of their potential, as if neither had yet reached it.
    At the same time, they shared a common goal. Each wanted to win very badly. Their reputations had taken a beating and each
     player knew that the only way to silence his critics would be to win a championship. It helped immeasurably that Jackson already
     had the