If Kwame Brown had a tail, he'd be wagging it furiously at Kobe right now.
But a dark cloud still hung over Phil Jackson's face.
The team was down by 5 points. With 19 seconds left, they could theoretically still take the lead. But if they missed the shot, it would be all over.
So, he laid out the play.
He designed an isolation play for Kobe Bryant. But Kobe gave the opportunity to Vujacic instead, telling him to go to the corner for a catch-and-shoot. Vujacic had already hit two shots from that spot tonight.
Kobe making such a call was completely unexpected.
But it was the most logical one.
Phil Jackson was incredibly impressed with Kobe Bryant.
He thought Kobe had truly matured, to an unprecedented degree.
For Kobe, this was incredibly difficult—a change so profound it was like he had been completely reborn.
In the past, Kobe didn't have a pass button. But now, he was making this kind of decision at such a critical moment.
TWEET!
