Kobe Bryant was an ultimate competitor, strongly believing in his own skills and never afraid to back down from anyone.
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One time, Gilbert Arenas decided to pick a fight with Kobe, calling himself the ‘Black Mongoose’ after he dropped 60 points on Kobe and the Lakers once.
Kobe would single out Arenas in their next matchup, scoring 39 on him while leading the Lakers to a blowout win over the Wizards.
Kobe was once so confident in his skills that he was ready to bet half a million dollars on a potentially game sealing free throw attempt with Gerald Wallace.
Kobe Bryant Bet Gerald Wallace $500K He Would Nail A Free Throw
Gerald Wallace played for several teams over the course of his NBA career. He played his first three years with the Sacramento Kings while moving on Charlotte Hornets for the next seven years where he became a consistent 15+ ppg and 7+ rpg player.
From 2011-2013, Wallace also played for the Nets (New Jersey and Brooklyn), and during his time there, he got the chance to match up with Kobe more than a few times.
Wallace made the foolish mistake of trash talking Kobe during one game, and he instantly paid the price for it. Nobody comes after the ‘Black Mamba’ simply put.
The Lakers and Nets played each other close and late in the game with about 4.8 seconds left, Los Angeles held a slim 92-90 lead with Kobe at the line.
For all his talk, Wallace landed himself in a precarious situation as Kobe looked him dead in the eye and said “I bet I make this b*tch. How much you wanna put on it? I’ll put $500K on it right here.” Kobe sank the free throw and the Lakers would go on to win the game 95-90.
