Kobe Bryant spent 20 years of his life in the NBA. During his career, which lasted for two decades, the Mamba obviously had a plethora of rivalries in the league. Former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas was also part of that long list of rivals.
Although Kobe Bryant and Gilbert Arenas may not have locked horns for a long time, they still gave fans several memorable moments. Evidently, the two players also used to engage in trash-talking when playing against each other. But more often than not, Kobe ended up being the winner.
Gilbert Arenas Shares The Art Of Trash-Talking By Kobe Bryant
Bryant was a top player in the NBA for several years, and he always backed himself regardless of the opponent. That led to Bryant developing a habit of trash-talking, similar to Michael Jordan or Larry Bird.
Arenas recently made an appearance in an interview with the Orlando Magic’s RJ Hampton. During the interview, Arenas shared how Kobe smartly used trash-talk in hopes of throwing him off his game.
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“‘I can’t respect a man who won’t…’ and I’d be like, ‘Listen, Kobe i’m not dumb. Unless you’re going to make this a dribbling outside and trying to get to me. But you’re going to put me in the post and give me those little elbows and do all that’ and no! Why would I try to do all that? Why would I try to lose a game trying to feed your ego. Like if you want to guard me, good luck, but I already know that I can’t guard you in this post. But that’s how he was, ‘Oh, so you’re just going to play one-sided? Is that what kind of player you are? Just a one-sided player? How can you be great if you only want to play one side of the basketball?'”
Arenas added, “It was trash, but it was intelligent trash. Like it was an intelligent trash, and he’d make you always second guess what you’re doing. It was just random stuff like, ‘Oh, how many fouls you got? I think you’ve got two, and here comes your third’. It was just one of those things where when you played him you’re playing a mental war.”
Kobe may have talked trash to Arenas when they faced off against each other, but he still respected his game. So much so that Bryant wanted to recruit Arenas to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011. But Arenas denied it because he was no longer the player that Kobe was looking for.
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