Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson

Dear Diary,

Well Kobe’s being a selfish jerk again. Today he ate an entire container of cole slaw, fully knowing that it was to be shared amongst the whole team. I’m gonna have to do something drastic about this. I’m gonna have to make a change. A controversial change. Yep, starting tomorrow I’m going with potato salad. To hell with what the media thinks. TTYL, Phil

OK, so that may not be an actual excerpt from Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson ($16), but with his famous Zen mentality and approach to the game, we wouldn’t be surprised if he oversaw the side dishes as well as the Triangle offense. The big question is, where does he put the 11th ring?

Nike Kobe 8 System Basketball Shoes

Before you have any kind of reaction to these Nike Kobe 8 System Basketball Shoes ($TBA), remember the fact that Kobe’s (rarely used) nickname is the Black Mamba. Now, with that in mind, you can begin to understand the graphic snakeskin print on the shoe’s upper. I must also tell you now that my grandmother truly hates snakes. However, I have yet to gauge her opinion on Nike Engineered Mesh, used here for the first time in a B-ball shoe. This stuff offers maximum breathability at a very light weight, so the chances are she’ll at least be OK with it.