Former NBA All-Star and all-around basketball entertainment legend Gilbert Arenas — AKA Agent Zero — was dishing the NBA tea when he unleashed a tale concerning Kobe Bryant‘s complicated relationship with his idol Michael Jordan. Kobe, of course, modeled his game after Jordan’s GOAT act, and Kobe did it right too. He finished with one fewer title than Mike, but Bryant once scored 81 points in a game, more than MJ ever had.
But when Kobe was 24 and Jordan was in his Wizards twilight at 40, Jordan (according to Arenas) told Kobe that while he could “wear the shoes” (Kobe was wearing the Jordan 8‘s at the time), he could “never fill ’em.”
Well you know the whole Mamba Mentality thing Bryant has — that Mamba engine kicked into high gear after the dis. Bryant freaked, even though the soft knock was really just Jordan being Jordan. (Fill his magical shoes? Pshaw.)
Anyway Arenas, who admiringly calls Kobe a “psycho”, says the MJ slight accounted for Kobe going off for 55 against the Wizards the next time they played. 55 against Jordan’s paltry 23, that is. (23 points at age 40, btw? Unbelievable.) Listen to Arenas below regale the crew.
