When $570 Million Worth Hollywood A-Listers Got Yelled at By Lakers Coach Phil Jackson

Former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson screamed at Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon in the 2008 NBA Finals.

When $570 Million Worth Hollywood A-Listers Got Yelled at By Lakers Coach Phil Jackson

Phil Jackson (Image credits - Firstsportz)

The 2008 NBA Finals saw Phil Jackson‘s Los Angeles Lakers take on the Boston Celtics. The two franchises have the most historic rivalry in the NBA. It was the Celtics’ first NBA Finals appearance in 21 years and hence it was their first meeting since 1987 while the Lakers’ last appearance had been in 2004. Boston was led by their ‘Big Three’ of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The Lakers was led by MVP Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Both teams were at the top of their respective Conferences.

It was the Boston Celtics who came out on top in six games. It was the franchise’s 17th NBA title, their first one since 1986, putting an end to nearly two decades of mediocre performances. Paul Pierce was named as the Finals MVP as he led the Celtics in scoring at 21.8 points per game.

Phil Jackson is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all time. He has won 11 NBA Championships throughout his coaching career, which is the most in NBA history, six with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Lakers. During his time as a coach, Jackson has managed the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal and Bryant. Jackson is known for being a tough coach and often testing his players’ toughness.

Celebrities sitting courtside is a common sight in the NBA, especially in the finals. Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon were seated courtside for one the games in the finals. There was a moment during the game where the Celtics went on a run, and the two stars cheered with enthusiasm. But their cheering got to Jackson, who lashed out at the two actors.

Damon himself explained the whole incident on an episode of the Ringer’s “Bill Simmons” podcast.

This was in LA, but the game before, we had been like 23 points down in the 3rd quarter and come back and won. So that game… we’re down 21, 22 points in the third quarter and Paul Pierce just goes full ‘Truth’ mode and just goes bananas. And they had this unbelievable comeback.

After the comeback was complete, Damon spoke about how Jackson snapped at them.

By the time he went up to lay the ball in, Phil’s already up because he’s like gotta call a timeout and try to stop the bleeding. And Wahlberg and I are like, ‘Oh my God!’, and as he calls the timeout, he just spins on us and he goes, ‘Sit down and shut the f**k up!’ He was so mad.

In the heat of the moment, it is common for players and coaches to lose their cool and let their emotions get the better of them. From the sound of it, though, neither Damon nor Wahlberg minded too much, and seeing that the Celtics won the championship that year, they also ended up having the last laugh.

Phil Jackson bounced back with two NBA Championships

The Lakers returned to the NBA Finals in 2009, but the Celtics did not make it. In the 2008-09 season, Garnett suffered an injury that ruled him out for the season. His absence had a significant impact on the team as they were knocked out by the Orlando Magic in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Bryant led the Lakers to a 65-17 record and helped the club clinch the championship in 2009. It was Bryant’s fourth NBA title and his first Finals MVP award, while Jackson became the first and only head coach in league history to reach the double-digit mark with 10 titles. The Lakers overcame the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Final in five games.

In 2010, the Lakers made it to their third straight NBA Final. Jackson and Bryant had the opportunity to avenge their 2008 finals loss as they took on the Celtics in the NBA Final once again. Both rosters were pretty much the same from their meeting in 2008. It was a blockbuster tie as the Lakers won the tie in seven games and lifted back-to-back championships, with Bryant winning his second Finals MVP award.

Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant had issues

Both Jackson and Bryant are successful and have achieved immense success in their respective roles. But with that comes ego. The two big personalities did not see each other eye to eye and had several fallouts during Jackson’s first stint with the Lakers. Their relationship was so bad that, after Jackson left the Lakers in 2004, he announced at the All-Star break that he would not want to return if Bryant returned.

Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant
Phil Jackson (Left) and Kobe Bryant (Right) (Image credits – Los Angeles Times)

Jackson had been critical of Bryant in his book, The Last Season, as well. He described his point of view of the tensions that surrounded the 2003–04 Lakers team, pointing the finger mostly at the five-time champion. The coach also discussed the r*pe allegations against Bryant in 2003, and while doing so, he quoted:

Was I surprised? Yes, but not entirely. Kobe can be consumed with surprising anger, which he’s displayed toward me and his teammates.

However, Jackson returned as head coach in 2005 and worked very seamlessly with Bryant. With Jackson back, the Lakers started to perform as a top team again. Bryant had some of the best years of his career during Jackson’s second stint, and the individual accolades he won from 2007 to 2010 cemented him as one of the greatest players of all time.

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