So how great is Phil Jackson?  You hear sportswriters – who have to say something – say, no, he’s just lucky, anyone could win championships with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant working for him.  But that pony won’t go.  The Lakers had Shaq and Kobe before Jackson came on the scene and couldn’t make anything happen.  Then they had Kobe after Jackson was gone, and nothing doing again.  It’s clearly the Zen Master who makes the difference.

Something else too.  It’s time to acknowledge that Kobe has changed.  I don’t know about his behavior off the court – it’s none of my business anyway.  But on the court, he’s not the man he was.  I used to find it ridiculous when sportswriters would sing his praises because he scored a gadrillion points in a game the Lakers lost – or even a game they won in a losing season.  It’s a team sport.  If you’re the team leader and your team keeps losing, you’re not a good player no matter how good a player you are.  For all his talent, the guy was surly, selfish and uninspiring.

But the Lakers have not lost three games in a row since they picked up Pau Gasol in February of last year and in large part that’s because Kobe’s surliness has matured into inspiring determination.  If that’s real maturity and not just opportunism, the Lakers could win it all again next year.  To which prospect I say:  Cool!