Lakers Teammate Was Once Frustrated By Kobe Bryant Tanking The Game After Phil Jackson Criticism: “Are you Going to Play Today or What?”

If you think about the Los Angeles Lakers and their success, you ultimately start thinking of Kobe Bryant and his time with the team. The late Lakers icon is one of the NBA’s greats, his career spanning for two decades with the LA based outfit. However, being an NBA great did not exempt Bryant from getting an earful from his coach, the legendary Phil Jackson.

The incident mentioned here refers to a late 2004 game for the Lakers against the Sacramento Kings, a couple of years after their iconic three-peat. While the team would a title again only in 2009, Bryant continued to perform excellently throughout the period.

Did Kobe Bryant perform poorly because of Phil Jackson’s criticism?

On April 11, 2004, the Lakers faced the Sacramento Kings.

Los Angeles lost 102-85 with Bryant failing to help his team win the game. He played 21 minutes in the first half, taking only one shot. It was not until the third quarter that he picked up his pace, a performance very unlike the Lakers forward.

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According to reports, his performance was a direct result of Jackson’s criticism before the game. Jackson apparently told Bryant that his scoring and shooting were ‘too much’ and detrimental to the team. The result was the game against the Kings, which did the Lakers no good.

“Are you going to play today or what?” Gary Payton asked Bryant, surprised by his performance.

“I’ve never seen Kobe take just (one shot),” Payton added after the game. “I don’t think any of us came to play, and this is the outcome that happened.”

How did the others perform?

Payton scored 15 points that game, while Karl Malone scored 13 points. Shaquille O’Neal only played 12 minutes, getting one shot in before he was slapped with two offensive fouls. He finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds.

The Lakers reached the NBA Finals that year, losing 4-1 to the Detroit Pistons. With O’Neal gone next season, Bryant and the Lakers won the title again in 2009, and again in 2010.

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What did you think of Bryant’s game? Was his reaction solely due to Jackson’s criticism?