Kobe Bryant's title-winning advice to Draymond Green: Be a jerk
At the same time Kobe Bryant was making the Golden State Warriors' pursuit of history more difficult, he was giving Draymond Green some advice on how to ensure the defending champions keep winning titles.
After the Lakers knocked off the Warriors in one of the biggest upsets the NBA has ever seen, Bryant found the Golden State forward and emphasized one of the essential truths of his team: As the heart and soul of the Warriors, it's Green's job to keep the team locked in (via Yahoo Sports):
"He's the one that has to keep his finger on the nerve with this team, because it can get lax, it can get comfortable, and I think he's the one that's going to have to create that conflict, that tension in the locker room, because if they don't have that, then in the playoffs, then they are going to be in trouble," Bryant said of Green. "He's got to give them that conflict."
Bryant's comments are a fascinating follow-up to Green's infamous halftime tirade during a Warriors game against the Thunder. The future Hall of Famer echoes Steve Kerr's opinion that a championship team needs conflict -- something they seem to have learned from Phil Jackson, who Kerr says would sometimes intentionally bring tension to the surface so that it wouldn't simmer.
Green apologized for his rant, because he felt that was the right thing to do. After this encouragement from Bryant, however, he'll probably just keep it 100 the next time he decides to call out his teammates.
It's what a Lakers legend with five rings would do.
