Trick Is Avoiding a Clash of Symbols

He is Kobe Bryant’s mortal enemy.

He is Kobe Bryant’s only hope.

He is the man who tore down Kobe Bryant’s game.

He is the man who can rebuild Kobe Bryant’s greatness.

Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers on Tuesday amid spoonfuls of praise diluted by a sticky paradox.

His success depends on convincing the guy who greatly suffered during his first tenure that he will greatly benefit from his return.

Nobody quite knows how Bryant will be voting on all this, but his first ballot was returned Tuesday at the news conference at Staples Center to announce Jackson’s rehiring.

Absentee.

Bryant didn’t show.

No other players were present, either, but Bryant is not just another player, he is a symbol.

He’s also the only active Laker who, in Jackson’s final months as coach, became so angry during practice that he threw a ball at Jackson’s feet.

And, of course, the Laker who was most seriously filleted in Jackson’s latest book.

Which will be coming out in paperback this fall.

As Zenmaster became Spinmaster Tuesday, smiling and sweating dark stains in his brown shirt, his relationship with Bryant was the only question that mattered.

We’re going to have to wait longer than, say, 0.4 seconds for an answer.

Bryant was on the podium last summer for the introduction of new teammates Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler, but Tuesday, he, um, passed.

He gave a moving speech Sunday night at the Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular at the Century Plaza, but his only words Tuesday came out in a statement.

It read: “When the Lakers began the search for a new head coach, I put my complete trust in Dr. Buss and Mitch Kupchak to select the person they thought was best for the Lakers organization. In Phil Jackson, they chose a proven winner. That is something I support.”

It was nice, but a smile and a handshake would have read better.

Jackson said he spoke to Bryant by phone Tuesday morning, but, heck, now Bryant is probably going to be mad at him for revealing a private conversation.

“It’s a matter of trust, of rebuilding trust,” Jackson said. “I feel confident that he’s confident that we can go forward.”

Good thing, because there’s no turning back.

Bryant had his chance to run this team. It didn’t work. Owner Jerry Buss smartly stepped in, admitted his mistake, and handed the keys back to Jackson.

Bryant was not consulted. Bryant was not given veto power. Bryant had no say, so now he must sit and listen.

If he does, he’ll understand that this is all good.

Despite Jackson’s hilarious inferences that they might actually bring Shaquille O’Neal back to town -- nice olive branch for No. 8, huh? -- the new triangle will revolve around Bryant.

In other words, with no Shaq, Kobe can now work on becoming M.J.

“More than likely,” Jackson said when the comparisons to Michael Jordan were made. “There will be a lot of isolations.”

If that doesn’t convince Bryant, then he should listen to Jackson talk about Lamar Odom and his ball-distributing responsibilities.

“A Scottie Pippen-type player,” Jackson said.

Despite his larger-than-life presence, Jackson has always been a coach who realizes he is only as good as his best player.

Now that Bryant, not O’Neal, is his best player, it’s Kobe’s stardom to lose.

But will he see that?

“Last season, from March, we had tremendous chemistry,” Jackson said. “We had tremendous communication. Tremendous ability to work together.”

Except when one guy was throwing a ball at the other guy, of course.

“I’m not going to speculate on any player’s reaction,” said Kupchak, the Laker general manager. “But, without a doubt, this is a great hire for anybody who wants to get this team on track.”

A great hire indeed.

Jackson gives the Lakers buzz again -- people were driving past Staples Center honking their horns.

He gives the Lakers arrogance again -- what other organization would have enough brass to announce their new coach on the day of one of the league’s Finals games?

He also gives them a chance to compete in the playoffs again, even if he purposely downplayed this notion by saying that he would be “amazed” if they were in a position to win a championship in three years.

Don’t be fooled. Jackson told me basically the same thing in 2000, just before they won three consecutive titles. Nothing like lowering expectations to raise the level of heroism, huh?

Of course, in the big picture that is a return to Laker greatness, none of Jackson’s words matter. None of his funky necklaces or sacred rooms or Jeanie sightings or Sacramento jabs matter.

It’s all about whether Kobe Bryant agrees that this is a rematch made in heaven.

Because if he doesn’t, it will be three years of hell.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.