Phil Jackson weighs in on Kobe vs. MJ debate at tech conference

Having coached both players to multiple championships, Phil Jackson has more insight than most when it comes to the Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan debate.

While headlining a tech conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday, Jackson gave his thoughts on the age-old question: "Who is better: Kobe or MJ?"

"There was something coachable about Michael that Kobe didn’t have," he said, according to Liesl Nielsen of KSL.com. "But Kobe had an irrepressible fire."

Jackson explained that if he took Jordan out of a game, he would play better once he got back in.

"He'd know what he'd done," Jackson said. "He had a conscience."

Bryant, on the other hand, was incredibly competitive and would stand next to him and ask him incessantly if he could go back in the game, Jackson said.