Jackson Was Near Bryant in Colorado

CHICAGO —  Laker Coach Phil Jackson was in Eagle, Colo., on the night that Kobe Bryant allegedly sexually assaulted a hotel employee in a nearby town, a newspaper reported.

“Unbeknownst to me, he was just six miles down the road,” Jackson said in an article published in the Chicago Tribune today.

“We weren’t aware of the fact,” said Jackson, who was on a motorcycle trip when he decided to stop in Eagle.

Bryant is accused of raping a woman June 30 at the mountain resort where she worked. The Laker guard, in Eagle before having knee surgery, says the two had consensual sex.

Bryant had not informed the Lakers of when he was having surgery, and Jackson did not know that his player was just up the road that night. Jackson had planned to travel 600 miles on his motorcycle that day but was driving into a headwind and decided to stop after 480 miles.

“We weren’t aware of the fact. We knew he was looking for medical clinics to appraise his knee and the situation. But it caught us by surprise,” Jackson said.

From Associated Press