Here is Phil on Kobe back in 2001:

"I never asked Michael to be a playmaker," Jackson said. "That's the greatest player I ever had, that I could consider the greatest player in the game. Yet I never asked him to be a playmaker in those terms. I asked him to be a playmaker when he was doubled or tripled. Kobe has to set up the offense, read the defense, make others happy and he's doing a great job of it. Kobe has become the floor leader on a basketball team that was looking for that player who can not only be a scorer, but also be a playmaker who can consistently make big plays at critical times. It was very important for Kobe to step into that role he was envisioned at."

Kobe was the primary ball handler, facilitator, and floor general for all 5 of his rings. His passing ability/ability to read defenses made all of his teammates better, on defense he called out plays before the offense ran them and he could lock down any 1-3 taking pressure off his teammates, his gravity as an offensive player was similar to Curry opening more looks for teammates, he made his teams better by teaching more fundamentals and making the players tougher. The list goes on and on.