Following the back to back champion Lakers surprising loss to Regal FC Barcelona on Thursday, the web was abuzz with predictions of the Lakers fall from grace.
More surprising, however, was the disagreement between Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson over whether or not their opponent could compete in the NBA.
As reported by ESPN LA's Dave McMenamin, when coach Jackson was asked if FCB could compete in the NBA, his answer was a resounding no.
"No...They played really well [Thursday], but they're not up to the competition that we face night in and night out," Jackson said. "But that's not taking anything away from them. The physicality of our game, the size of our players, those are things that night in and night out are very difficult to contest."
Jackson's mater of fact response shouldn't surprise anyone, as he has a history of diminishing (tempering?) the accomplishments of his opponents unless it serves to motivate his team.
Jackson understands that as much as his team was trying to win, they were far from their best. While FCB, in front of the home crowd, it would seem, played their hearts out.
Neverth ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by marc mct
Agree to Disagree: After Loss in Barcelona Bryant/Jackson Fail To See Eye to Eye
October 8th, 2010 by marc mct Leave a reply »
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