Hidden: Arenas On Kobe: "My Numbers Are Blowing His Out Of The Water": Gilbert Arenas has been putting up a lot of points this season and feels that his numbers compare well to Kobe Bryant's. "I'm glad what I'm doing is on national television so they can finally see what I did in the past; my 29 [points per game last season] is not a fluke. What I did in the playoffs is not a fluke. What I've done the last five years is not a fluke," Arenas said. "Everybody says, 'Oh, he's not better than this person, he's not better than that person.' But if you go year by year, number-wise, what's the difference between me and Kobe? He had Shaq. He got three rings. Other than that, my numbers are blowing his out of the water the first six years in the league.
posted by msusportsguy to basketball at 10:24 PM - 18 comments
Gilbert is constantly being unappricated. Gilbert is one of the top guards in the league but is always overshadowed by Billiups, iverson, KOBE, wade, kidd, mcgrady and others. Besides the lakers are overrated!!!!!!!!!!
posted by msusportsguy at 12:20 AM on December 26, 2006
gilbert is hella raw dood! kobe is playing kinda weak this year anyway htey even say he plays different and he doesnt want to take over and he wants to set up other players. i mean kobe is probably better then gilbert, but i think gilbert is right there after kobe lebron and d wade i really think he is right with them or barely after.
posted by travisl212 at 01:01 AM on December 26, 2006
Gilbert feels unappricated. What a joke! He's a grown ass man making millions of dollars playing basketball. Grow up Gilbert. It doesn't matter if he is better then Kobe anyway, its a TEAM sport and his team has never won shit, the Lakers have three championships with Kobe.
posted by Snipes at 03:02 AM on December 26, 2006
No class.
posted by samuelraphael at 03:03 AM on December 26, 2006
Maybe he just needs a hug.
posted by chicobangs at 04:38 AM on December 26, 2006
gilbert is hella raw dood! Second time in two months using the phrase "hella raw." Well done, indeed. Your contributions to this site will soon be legend.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:19 AM on December 26, 2006
This is what's wrong with the NBA. Attention, even by the players, is on individual stats instead of team achievement. Give me back Magic and Bird!
posted by carolinared at 07:16 AM on December 26, 2006
Gilbert is blossoming into a great player. If you asked me even last year, who I would want on my team, I probably couldn't decide. Kobe is too much of a me first player where Gilbert is more of a team player. It will be interesting to watch them the next time they play. It seems to me that the Lakers would be better off trading Kobe for some draft choices and a few players. They play more as a team without him (just like the Sixers are doing without Iverson). Just remember that most (not all) great players have great ego's. As far as the R-E-S-P-E-C-T goes, give me a break. These players make millions of dollars, the only respect he should need is from home.
posted by bry66 at 07:23 AM on December 26, 2006
Respect, yada yada yada, millions of dollars yada yada yada. Okay. That argument is silly. Because he makes millions of dollars he shouldn't care about how he is compared to other people who make lots of money. Right. He feels he is one of the best players and wants to be recognized as such. I'm not sure why this conversation is about how much money he makes instead of actually comparing his stats to other players and finding the veracity of his claims. Is it because he attacked Kobe? Is it because he isn't Magic or Bird (who didn't have to ask for anything as they were lauded since before they entered the league?)
posted by apoch at 07:45 AM on December 26, 2006
I like what Arenas is doing here. He was responding to Bryant downplaying Arenas scoring 60 on the Lakers, not conjuring up a comparison out of thin air. As this comment from the article shows, he respects Bryant, but wants to call him out: "A great player like [Bryant], you have to do something to that level to get his respect. Now it's going to be one of those games, he's going to write on his calendar, 'I've got to get back at him.' Before, it was, 'Who cares about that team? Who cares about that player?' Now it's, 'Let me circle his name with the rest of them."
posted by rcade at 07:54 AM on December 26, 2006
Kobe is much talk. Guy has talent but is also a crybaby. " I'm looking for my teammates more." Fuck you Kobe. Im glad Shaq decided enough was enough. Gilbert Arenas has always played very well... He's always lit up my Mavs. However, Kobe and Gilbert are both really great players. Kobe shut the f*** up and quit crying all the time and Gilber keep doing what you do.
posted by bobby1979 at 09:14 AM on December 26, 2006
".....the Lakers have three championships with Kobe." But Kobe didn't do it alone. He did have a guy by the name of Shaq to win those 3 Championships. They (Lakers) play more as a team without him (Kobe) (just like the Sixers are doing without Iverson). That's because the Sixers have no one else to turn to except the players that they have now. Which is the reason they're gonna suck ass this year. Wait until some like Kyle Korver or Andre Iguodala starts coming into their own and the organization will find a way to trade that talent away. GO NUGGETS!!
posted by BornIcon at 09:25 AM on December 26, 2006
Frankly the NBA could use a new scoring front man. Gilbert has not been alleged to have raped a blonde hotel desk clerk and then covering it up by buying his lady a 6 million dollar ring (LMAO). Oh btw, that would not work on a smart wife! Dumb and dumber living in bliss? I like Arenas. He was trained by Lute and knows how to carry himself. There could be hope for the NBA yet!
posted by mikemora at 09:51 AM on December 26, 2006
Arenas has been playing phenomenal. He donates $100 for each point he scores to a local (DC Metro area) school, a different school each game. He plays and composes himself with class. Wow, Bryant blasting someone for taking "Kobe" shots and going to the line a "Kobe" number of times. Everyone knows Kobe would never shoot 30 plus times in a single game.
posted by johnnylaw at 10:03 AM on December 26, 2006
Anyone asking for what they're due is showing exactly why they don't deserve it. If you go out, give your 100%, feel good about how you played, who the hell cares what the average fan thinks when they compare you to other players? This whole inferiority complex thing is so tired.
posted by dfleming at 10:38 AM on December 26, 2006
I like Arenas. He was trained by Lute and knows how to carry himself. There could be hope for the NBA yet! I think Gilbert Arenas is good for the league. He's fun to watch and always has a chip on his shoulder, whether legit or make-believe. Statistically speaking, his first 6 years are far superior to Kobe Bryant's. But so far, for all of his stats, he hasn't been part of a team that has had success in the playoffs, kind of like a former Washington player before him - Bernard King. Hopefully Arenas' stats will amount to something more than just stats. What I did in the playoffs is not a fluke. As for that comment, I assume he wasn't referring to choking at the free throw line to let Lebron James and the Cavs eliminate them last year.
posted by chamo at 10:40 AM on December 26, 2006
What I did in the playoffs is not a fluke More like a flounder or maybe even a large mouth bass since he took the bait when LeBron James talked smack to him while at the free throw line during the playoffs and choked. Looked like a fish out of water.
posted by BornIcon at 11:14 AM on December 26, 2006
Gilbert better shut the f*** up...cuz Kobe is gonna kill the Wiz next time they play...this is the stuff that Kobe eats up! I can see the stat line: 50 points, 8-10 boards and 6-8 assists and airtight D on Gilbert...
posted by chemwizBsquared at 11:56 PM on December 25, 2006