It’s a Long and Evolved Story

If you’re wondering whether Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal can ever coexist peacefully, just look at the example set by Phil Jackson and Pat Riley some 13 1/2 years after Jackson held Riley accountable for ruining basketball’s purity and Riley accused Jackson of “whining and whimpering.”

Don’t expect a gift exchange between the two before today’s Laker-Heat game. They probably didn’t even buy cards. But listening to their assessments of each other over the past week, they sounded like a couple of retirees sharing fond memories on the porch compared to their bitter words of the early 1990s, when Jackson’s Chicago Bulls and Riley’s New York Knicks waged annual playoff battles.

“It’s evolved to a point where we don’t insult each other as much as we did before,” Jackson said.

“I think there’s a genuine respect there,” Riley said. “[Jackson’s] right there with [Red] Auerbach, and you’ve got to give him his kudos.”

What happened to the old animosity? New venues, for one. First Riley moved to Miami, then Jackson came to L.A. Each subsequently left his job and came back. But they’ve discovered, more than anything else, that the best way to get over differences is to keep buying new calendars.

“We’ve all been through this in this game where we’ve had rivalries,” Jackson said. “Maybe not as intense as Kobe’s and Shaq’s, maybe not teammates. But players that we’ve seen that we have intense rivalries, with 10 years, 15 years after our playing days and [we’ve] sat down and had discussions and enjoyed each other’s company. That’ll happen in due time.”

Right now, two years after Bryant dropped O’Neal’s name into a conversation with police, in the second season after O’Neal was traded from the Lakers to the Heat, does not qualify as “due time.” Bryant sounded weary of the topic while going through one last round of Shaq questions Saturday. O’Neal didn’t even bother to talk to reporters.

The truth is the angle feels tired already. It’s a good thing Riley replaced Stan Van Gundy as the Heat’s coach this month to bring this matchup added flavor. A promo for ABC’s broadcast even gave Jackson and Riley top billing over Bryant and O’Neal.

Bryant and O’Neal aren’t willing to add new verbal accelerants to the mix. Jackson and Riley seem practically incapable of it at this stage.

Jackson has gone from mellow to mellower, from Zen to Zzzzz.

With Riley it feels as if something has been taken away. He doesn’t have that bravado. Maybe it’s because his last championship with the Lakers was in 1988, back when Will Smith still was known as the Fresh Prince.

“I’ve had success since, but not like that,” Riley said. “So I think, definitely, I’m still living off that big-time.”

It’s been 13 days since Riley took over the coaching reins again, and he admittedly has not felt at ease in his role or completely in control of the team.

“It might take a month, six weeks before we get connected on what it is I want to do,” Riley said.

Jackson and Riley’s NBA careers began in similar fashion. They started off as long-haired guys with mustaches -- Jackson in New York, Riley with the Lakers -- making their NBA living in the early 1970s with hustle and determination more than sheer talent. Both suffered injuries that forced them to spend time on the bench, observing the nuances of the game alongside great coaches such as Red Holzman and Bill Sharman.

“I think that kind of determined the roles that we’re here now in 30 years later,” Jackson said.

Both were broadcasters and assistant coaches, but when each got his chance to take over and instill his own philosophy, one chose “The Art of War”, the other chose “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”

“We chose different paths in our lives,” Jackson said. “As a result we have different styles entirely.”

Laker forward Lamar Odom has played under both.

“Coach Riley is a lot more intense,” Odom said. “Phil is what you call a laid-back, aggressive person. Coach Riley emphasizes pressure, and Coach Jackson emphasizes releasing the pressure and going away from the pressure.”

Is there anything similar?

“Winning,” Odom said.

They have 13 coaching championships between them. And 330 postseason victories.

Their different approaches still were evident Saturday, when Riley’s practice predictably lasted longer than Jackson’s. Riley has exercise bikes labeled with each player’s name and number lined up along the practice court. Jackson, apparently not knowing or caring who a pair of shoes under a courtside seat belonged to, stuck his gum on the toe of one before meeting with reporters.

But the aftereffects of their playing days have drawn out the similarities again. Now they’re a couple of guys with bad hips. Riley often sits on a chair while addressing reporters after practice; Jackson has a stool for his pre- and postgame media sessions at Staples Center. And, amazingly, two of the most accomplished coaches in the NBA record book find themselves still having to prove something.

They’re older, but they aren’t relics. We still care about what they say and do.

“It was interesting to see them go head-to-head for all of those years,” Bryant said. “It’s cool to be a part of history, having these two great coaches go head-to-head again. It’s fun. It just adds to the excitement.”

No, it is the excitement. And the example.

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J.A. Adande can be reached at j.a.adande@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Adande, go to latimes.com/adande.