Bryant jokingly compared his former Lakers teammate and current Warriors interim coach with Phil Jackson ahead of the team’s Tuesday night matchup (via the Los Angeles Daily News).
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Walton’s Warriors can set a record for wins to start a season (16) by beating Bryant’s Lakers on Tuesday in Oakland.
While Bryant’s remark could be seen as a back-handed compliment, it’s not that far off the mark, at least in terms of NBA stats.
Walton spent eight of his nine NBA seasons with the Lakers, winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and ‘10 as Bryant’s teammate. He averaged a modest 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds for his career, which finished with the Cavs in 2013.
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Jackson averaged 6.7 points in 10 NBA seasons, nine of which he played with the Knicks, for whom he is now team president. He does, however, have a ten-ring edge on Walton in combined NBA championships. Jackson has a total of 13 championship rings (two as a player, 11 as a coach) while Walton earned his third as an assistant with the Warriors last year.
