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wire servicesThe coach said he told management: "I've had it with this kid."
LOS ANGELES - Phil Jackson called his relationship with Kobe Bryant at times a "psychological war" and sought to trade his star guard in January, according to a diary of the former Lakers coach.
The diary of the 2003-04 season, titled The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, will be released this month.
"I do know that there were many occasions this year when I felt like there was a psychological war going on between us," Jackson wrote. "Amazingly, we came to a truce, even to a higher level of trust. Ultimately, though, I don't believe we developed enough trust between us to win a championship."
Jackson said the strain between him and Bryant led him to hire a therapist to consult with during the season, according to the Los Angeles Times, which printed excerpts from the magazine article in its Tuesday edition.
Alyson Sadofsky, a spokeswoman for SFX Basketball Group in Washington, said Bryant would not comment on the story.
Jackson wrote he became so frustrated with Bryant that he told general manager Mitch Kupchak in January, "I won't coach this team next year if he is still here. He won't listen to anyone. I've had it with this kid."
The Lakers released a statement on behalf of Buss and Kupchak, saying Jackson's book contained "several inaccuracies" but declined to elaborate.
"There are anecdotes that portray things that took place or were said in private, closed door meetings," the statement said. "While Phil has chosen to go public with some of what took place in these meetings, we will respect the spirit of privacy which we feel should be maintained and therefore will not respond to these entries.
"It should be remembered that most of what is contained are Phil's opinions and should be taken with that understanding, not as fact," the statement said.
During last week's training camp, Bryant said he misses Jackson.
"We've had our tough times, we had our share of arguments, but I've always respected him as a coach," he said.
Jackson became exasperated with the feuding between Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
"At times the pettiness between the two of them can be unbelievably juvenile," he wrote.
Jackson wrote that Bryant was angry that O'Neal received allowances from the Lakers organization, but that "nobody this year, or in any year I've coached, has received more "allowances' than Kobe Bryant."
Among those allowances was the Lakers organization's partial payment for the private jets Bryant took to Colorado for the hearings in his rape case.
The sexual assault charge against Bryant was dismissed last month at his accuser's request.