“It’s Him (Kobe) and MJ”: Gilbert Arenas Unravels Mimicking the Work Ethic of ‘The Mamba’ and ‘The GOAT’

Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have many things in common. From their game to their mentality on the floor, the similarities between the two are endless. For a young player growing up, Kobe and MJ are often the ones that they look up to and develop their games as such. But when we learn about these legends, people often come to the same conclusion.

Their work ethic kept them apart from their competition. Both Jordan and Kobe were always in pursuit of being the best. Their relentless work ethic is the reason they were able to perform on the brightest stage. Witnessing this same work ethic in person inspired a young NBA player back in the day.

Kobe Bryant was the inspiration

Gilbert Arenas came to the NBA in 2001. After playing 12 seasons in the NBA while being one of the best of his time, Arenas has a lot of stories about various players. In his early days, he witnessed how Kobe Bryant prepared for a game and it changed everything for the young star.

In a recent episode of the Real Ones podcast, the special guest was Agent 0. During their conversation, Gilbert Arenas was asked by Raja Bell if he had anyone that he looked up to and hoped to have seen closer to learn how they prepared for a game.

Arenas said, “It’s him (Kobe) and MJ. You know, that’s why when I heard that, you know, Kobe was at the gym, you know, three hours, four hours before the game, right? That’s what put me in that mode.“

Arenas told them that when he was playing for the Warriors in his early years, he got the opportunity to face Kobe four times a year, but when he got to Washington, he could only go up against him twice a year. But the one thing about Kobe is that he never disappointed anyone with his performance. Areas wanted to be just like him and Michael Jordan who also had a similar work ethic.

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Areas dedicated himself to being just like these legends and following their routine to be one of the best. His desire to be the best once paid dividends when he faced off against Kobe Bryant.

Gilbert Arenas learned from Kobe

Kobe prepared for each and every single game as if it were game 7 of the NBA finals. Arenas revealed that Kobe would be on the court three to four hours before the game and would be working on different defensive coverages. So knowing this, one day when he was going to be playing against the Lakers, Arenas went to the stadium three hours earlier. As he had heard, Kobe was already there and practicing.

He carefully noted everything that Kobe was working on and the intensity with which he played. Later in the day, Arenas used everything he learned from watching Kobe against the Lakers. He had the best game of his career and dropped 60 points in a win.

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What do you think of Kobe Bryant’s work ethic? Let us know in the comments!