Gilbert Arenas’ dribbling and shot-making ability was exceptional, which led to Agent Zero once crossing up acclaimed one on one player Kobe Bryant.
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Arenas were best known for the time he spent with the Washington Wizards. He was one of the premiere players of his generation. The 41-year-old was an augusted player during the 2000s.
He was renowned for his ability to score the basketball from anywhere within the arc on the court. The American earned himself a reputation for his jumper. He used to possess the ability to consistently create space for his opponents to drain pivotal buckets to help his franchise to victory.
However, an aspect of his arsenal that was often undermined and underestimated was his ability to handle the ball and dribble past opponents. To attest to that, the 41-year-old once crossed nine-time NBA All-Defensive first-team star Kobe Bryant.
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Gilbert Arenas once crossed Kobe Bryant and scored a bucket!
The Wizards guard held the ability to go toe-to-toe with some of the leading talents in the NBA. In fact, he would isolate them before dismantling them with his footwork and ball-handling ability.
In a similar situation, the three-time NBA All-Star once crossed up Kobe Bryant when the pair came head to head against each other when the Los Angeles Lakers played the Washington Wizards. Arenas called for the isolation before leaving Bryant in his dust and driving through the lane to the paint for a layup.
Recollecting the incident, Arenas shared his thought process as to how he materialized the astonishing move.
“As I’m coming down, I’m looking where Kobe is, I’m looking at the defense. You gotta remember everything is predicated on what Kobe does in movement. I’m in a ‘No man’s zone’, where he has to play me straight up. My objective is to go middle. His objective is to push me baseline. So because Smush (Parker) is not at the nail, I have free reign against Kobe.
Arenas continued:
“So what I decide to do is go between my legs to get him to think I’m going that way. So once I go between my legs, and he shifts, its just a simple right to left”
Impeccable insight from one of the best scorers of the past two decades. Arenas’ ability to break down the intricate details of the NBA, enabled him to be a valuable asset to have.
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Gilbert Arenas vs Kobe Bryant!
Arenas was an illustrious scorer during conceivably the most defensive era of basketball played. Defenses would surround the paint and suffocate offensive players to the brink of exhaustion. Ironically, Arenas thrived under the environment.
Whenever the scorer was faced with the onerous task of playing against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angles Lakers, he delivered. In 11 games, Arenas tallied 30.4 points per game, along with an estimated six rebounds and five assists, respectively.
The impressive aspect was that he amassed those averages whilst scoring at an efficient rate of 42% from the field.
Bryant, on the other hand, averaged 29.9 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 16 games against Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards. A clash between two of the very best scorers of their era.
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