“American Hero”: Kobe Bryant the Only Player Ever to “Earn His Keys,” Says Gilbert Arenas

Kobe Bryant’s career was one of the most self-made journeys a superstar has ever had in the NBA. He was traded on draft night, rode the bench during his early seasons, and played second fiddle to Shaquille O’Neal for his first three championships. But all the while, he was evolving, shaping into the iconic superstar we admire today.

Kobe wasn’t a top-three pick like LeBron James, O’Neal, or Magic Johnson. He wasn’t drafted as a franchise savior and expected to perform miracles from the start. The fact that he earned it all by working his way up the hard way makes his journey all the more special.

Gilbert Arenas, whose opinions on Bryant have shifted over time, recently took a firm stance as a staunch believer in the late Los Angeles Lakers legend. He dubbed Kobe as an “American Hero,” emphasizing that Bryant earned everything in his career rather than having anything handed to him.

In a nearly three-and-a-half-hour stream on his YouTube channel, Gil appreciated and celebrated Bryant’s legendary career. The former All-Star particularly went off at detractors.

“You want to make him 1B, and [you] don’t even realize this man right here is the American Hero. He is what everybody wants to be,” said Arenas, who then explained why he called Kobe an American Hero.

It is purely because Kobe worked every single day to reach the level he did. He embodied the American Dream because he was given no handouts. Arenas also pointed out that Kobe is the only player in the top 20 all-time list who came off the bench for two full seasons and still earned his place among the greats.

“When you come from another country over here trying to live the American dream, you’re ain’t LeBron James. It ain’t Magic. It ain’t Shaq. That’s not the idea for you. It’s Tom Brady’s right where he got drafted and who he became. It’s Kobe Bryant…, ” argued Arenas

“Everybody else was given the keys. He [Kobe] had to earn his keys. He’s the only player to earn his keys,” he added.

After Shaq and the Lakers’ messy breakup in 2004, the prevailing opinion was that the Lakers wouldn’t be contenders without the Big Fella. Critics believed they’d never win with Kobe leading the way. A string of disappointing seasons followed, and those critics felt vindicated. Until Bryant proved them wrong.

Bryant won the NBA’s MVP award in the 2007-08 season, then followed it up with back-to-back championships the next two years. He made everyone eat their words and was finally acknowledged as an all-time great.