The NBA’s most successful coach ruminates about his contentious dealings with Kobe Bryant and the missed opportunity to contend for more titles with Michael Jordan in Chicago.
Q. In your book, “The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul,” you describe how Kobe Bryant’s legal situation became a sideshow. How difficult was it to maintain your composure and the Lakers’ focus?
A. There are forces that can tear present-day teams apart. Free agency, different agendas, salary caps . . . lesions are created that can pull a team apart. There are ways to bring players back together, and that’s the story. The attempt by our team to try to really coddle Kobe in a very difficult situation, to try to blend Gary Payton and Karl Malone into the team and re-establish the dominance of Shaquille O’Neal were multiple forces that were playing on the team’s ability to come together as a unit. We had to find a way to overcome that. We did it late [in the regular season], but we did it perhaps without building a solid base. As a result, we weren’t capable of winning the championship.
Q. You won nine titles as an NBA coach and you own NBA playoff records for wins and winning percentage. Any regrets as you ride off into the sunset?
A. The only thing I regret is that perhaps I wasn’t capable of keeping these two superstars (Bryant and O’Neal) together. I know it was a financial decision that made Dr. [Jerry] Buss move Shaquille on to Miami. People like to make it appear like it was Kobe’s decision. That’s not the premise of this book. If they had had success [last season] and had shown the ability they showed the first three years . . . I don’t think they would have had to break them up.
Q. You played in the NBA for 13 years and you come from a generation that respected authority. How were you able to function in such an uncompromising situation in Los Angeles?
A. It’s a whole different generation, a generation that has changed dramatically. And the game has changed dramatically, the essence of the game has changed [with] the salary-cap structure. As a consequence, we have a sort of socialistic structure to the game. Players come in out of high school knowing they have only X amount of years to make X amount of dollars. So as quick as they can get to max caps . . . the maximum amount of money they can make could be the difference between forfeiting $50 million to $100 million over a lifetime. The result is that we have very few players who stay and finish college. And you have very few players that mature. It affects the coaching and it affects the whole level of basketball.
Q. You turned down Jerry Reinsdorf’s offer to remain with the Bulls after the sixth title in 1998. Are you surprised the Bulls have failed to make the playoffs since that time?
A. It is very disappointing for our fans in Chicago who know basketball. The Bulls remain one of the most popular teams around the world. It just shows how big a base that team built at that time. There is a heartbeat of resurgence with that team. I think this is the year they’re going to make some strides, see a glimmer of hope for the future. They haven’t had that.
Q. Scottie Pippen recently retired. What were your thoughts on him?
A. In the book I talk about Scottie paying tribute to Michael during a team meeting. That was probably one of the dearest moments a coach can have. Pippen was often called the second fiddle to Michael or his sidekick. Scottie stood up and said he relished the moments he was able to play alongside him and the joy he had experienced playing with Michael. His words were enough to bring an emotional response from Michael. That is the type of thing a coach loves to see in his team, in basketball or in all sports.
Q. If the core of the Bulls team–Jordan, Pippen and Dennis Rodman–had remained together another season or two, could it have contended for another title or two?
A. I don’t think anybody would have been willing to say no in that situation. The idea in everybody’s mind, and I include management’s mind, is that it all had kind of come to a pivotal point. We held it together for that last hurrah. And when we started out, it just seemed like there wasn’t going to be anything beyond that last hurrah. It seemed like such a wonderful ending (with Jordan sinking the winning shot in Utah). There was a lockout the next year, and it just seemed like the right thing for that team. Looking back, that team probably would have vaulted itself [to championship contention] for another year or two.
Q. Did Jordan tarnish his image by coming out of retirement to play?
A. He had to do that his way. I’m happy he had an opportunity to come back and play and manage [the Wizards] and get involved with an organization. So he could really walk away from the game with no doubts or regrets.
Q. Now that you’re no longer coaching, what are your plans?
A. I’m going to try to take some time away from the game and take a trip to the South Seas, which I have never been able to see in my lifetime.
Q. Any chance you will return to the NBA to coach?
A. I’m not going to say no. I just want to see what life is like beyond basketball.
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