The never-ending Michael Jordan vs. Kobe Bryant debate heats up once again as Phil Jackson, who coached both players, said that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar trains harder than Jordan.

In an interview with the New York Post, Jackson said that Bryant will not be a model for NY Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony because no one can reach Bryant's attitude towards training, not even Jordan.

"I don't expect anybody to be able to model their behavior after that, although Kobe modeled his behavior a lot about Michael Jordan, but he went beyond Michael in his attitude towards training, and I know Mike would probably question me saying that, but he did," Jackson said.

Jackson, who won five titles with Bryant in Los Angeles, has been very vocal about his comparison between the two superstars. While he believes that Bryant trains harder, Jackson made it no secret that he believes Jordan is the better player.

In his book "Eleven Rings" that was released last year, Jackson pointed out that Jordan's leadership quality is his biggest advantage over Bryant.

"One of the biggest differences between the two stars from my perspective was Michael's superior skills as a leader," Jackson wrote. "Though at times he could be hard on his teammates, Michael was masterful at controlling the emotional climate of the team with the power of his presence. Kobe had a long way to go before he could make that claim."

The Hall of Fame coach, who coached Jordan to six NBA titles in Chicago, also said that the Bulls icon is a better and tougher defender than Bryant. Jackson also added that Jordan was patient enough to let the game come to him, while Bryant usually forces things to get into his rhythm.

"Jordan was also more naturally inclined to let the game come to him and not overplay his hand, whereas Kobe tends to force the action, especially when the game isn't going his way," Jackson wrote. "When his shot is off, Kobe will pound away relentlessly until his luck turns. Michael, on the other hand, would shift his attention to defense or passing or setting screens to help the team win the game."

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