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

respect of both players. After all, his record spoke for itself. And Bryant and O’Neal had been dissatisfied with
     Harris and Rambis, neither of whom had been able to enforce any team discipline. This had led each player to feel that he
     needed to take over on the court, a major cause of the friction between the two. Under Jackson, Bryant and O’Neal hoped things
     would be different.
    During training camp each player deferred to Coach Jackson. When the rest of the Lakers saw how intent Bryant and O’Neal were
     on giving their new coach some respect, they fell in line. They listened patiently as he explained their roles in the triangle,
     and they accepted criticism each time he stopped play and explained what someone had done wrong.As Jackson explained to his players, “I have to tell you about a mistake so you know you made a mistake. But it’s not personal
     criticism.”
    Bryant thrived under Jackson’s instruction, saying later that Jackson’s approach had allowed him to realize when he was making
     mistakes without being told. Now, he said, “I know when I mess up and I say, ’OK, hold on, I’ve got to step back.”
    To everyone’s surprise, by the time the regular season opened the Lakers were running the triangle as if they had been doing
     so for years. O’Neal had never been more dominant under the basket, as the offense prevented defenses from packing in around
     him. When he got the ball in the low post the defense was usually still in transition, allowing him an open route to the basket
     that often resulted in monstrous dunks. At times he was simply unstoppable, scoring at will and ripping down rebound after
     rebound.
    At the same time, Bryant had never played with so much control. His speed, quickness, and ballhandling skills were perfectly
     suited for the constant motion required by the triangle. It freed him on the outside for jump shots, for drives to the basket,
     and, significantly, to make crowd-pleasing passes not seen on the Lakers since Magic Johnson had been a star. For thefirst time, Bryant began to be recognized not just for his scoring ability, but for his ability to create shots for other
     players.
    Yet the offense still allowed him an outlet for his creative urges. He’d often find himself wide open with a clear path to
     the lane, the perfect situation to throw down one of his spectacular jams. Basketball had become fun again.
    Before the season was a month old, it was obvious that the Lakers would be the team to beat for the NBA championship. The
     controversy and frustrations of theprevious season melted away. O’Neal and Bryant developed a healthy respect for one another
     and even became friends. On one occasion, when Bryant got involved in a scuffle with New York Knick Chris Childs and elbowed
     him in the face, O’Neal was outspoken in his defense, saying, “Everyone knows Kobe’s a clean-cut kid. He was protecting himself.”
    It was “Showtime” in Los Angeles again. The Lakers romped to the Pacific Division title with the league’s best record, 67-15.
     O’Neal was named to the All-NBA first team, and Kobe Bryant made the second team, as well as the All-Defensive first team.
    The team’s performance earned them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They put it togood use as they surged to the Finals, beating the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and Portland Trailblazers in succession
     to earn the right to play the Indiana Pacers for the NBA championship.
    The Pacers were tough, experienced, and talented. Under their coach, former NBA great Larry Bird, they had been knocking on
     the door of the NBA championship for several seasons, only to fall just short. Led by guard Reggie Miller, they were a rugged
     defensive team known for their clutch shooting and never-say-die attitude. Although the Lakers were favored to win, some thought
     the Pacers might just pull off an upset. Bird had announced he would retire after the season, and the Pacers wanted to