Phil Jackson dishes on Kobe

As speculation swirls over whether coaching guru Phil Jackson will make a return to the NBA, a new book by him reveals his feelings about former players including Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, who Jackson says created an alter ego with help from Madonna. In “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success,” out Tuesday, the onetime Knicks player and famed coach of the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers recalls Bryant’s “obsession” with Jordan, saying, “Kobe was hell-bent on surpassing Jordan as the greatest player in the game. His obsession with Michael was striking. Not only had he mastered many of Jordan’s moves, but he affected many of M.J.’s mannerisms as well.” When Jackson once “orchestrated a meeting” between the two, “The first words out of Kobe’s mouth were, ‘You know I can kick your ass one-on-one.’ ” Of wild Rodman, Jackson says, “Most of the players developed a fondness for Dennis right away. They soon realized that all his wild offstage theatrics — the nose rings, the tattoos, the late-night parties in gay bars — were all part of an act he’d created, with the help of Madonna, to get attention.