Kobe Bryant just gave ex-teammate Luke Walton a big compliment — sort of.
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).
MORE: Lakers @ Warriors LIVE & FREE on NBA Australia
Kobe on Warriors interim coach Luke Walton: "I used to call him the next Phil. He's an average player w/ a messed up back."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) November 23, 2015Walton’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.
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.