I'd never really sat in a chair and just closed my eyes for 15 minutes and thought about basketball. But a quick look around at his millionaire teammates changed his mind. It's helped me to relax a lot more. Not every gathering in the Warrior Room is a blissed out experience. Nothing is sacred.
Emotions go crazy in there sometimes, especially when a guy continues to mess up on the floor.
The tone has changed dramatically since January, which marked the height of the public sniping between resident superstars Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. But don't assume that because the Lakers bring an 11-0 playoff record into Wednesday's start of the NBA finals that everything being said is complimentary. Several Lakers credit Jackson for instilling a comfortable atmosphere in which potshots as well as praise can be delivered. Even the coaches are not immune. The fact that guys feel comfortable sharing exactly what they're feeling, that to me, really ties a knot and makes us close.