‘Kobe Bryant Wasn’t Even Top 15’: Gilbert Arenas Downplays Lakers Legend’s Level in 1999-00

Advait Jajodia | 13/01/2025
Kobe Bryant (L) and Gilbert Arenas (R)

During the Playback stream of tonight’s New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks matchup, the Gil’s Arena panel briefly went on a tangent to discuss Kobe Bryant. The debate ensued when Nick Young claimed that Bryant was among the best players in the league during the 1999-2000 season. Gilbert Arenas didn’t hesitate to disagree with his former teammate.

“Kobe wasn’t even top 15 then… He averaged 22 points, bro. He wasn’t him yet,” Arenas stated.

Arenas used the 2000 MVP voting list to highlight the top 10 players from that season. Interestingly, the list placed Kobe 12th, confirming that he was among the top 15 players. Or at least was considered to be by many voters.

Kobe capped off the season with an All-NBA Second Team selection. This further suggests that the Los Angeles Lakers star was among the league’s best players.

Kobe averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 66 games in 1999-00, which might not make the cut for the top 15 right now in the league. But the NBA was not as scorer-friendly at the time as it is right now. And Kobe was fine-tuning his game as well.

Bryant consistently worked hard to become a better player

Kobe might not have been considered a top-10 player during that specific season, but his relentless work ethic set him apart in the coming years.

Determined to be recognized among the league’s best, Kobe pushed himself to incredible lengths. Through countless hours of practice, he transformed into one of the greatest players in basketball history.

In one of Bryant’s most iconic quotes on hard work, he emphasized that starting his day earlier than everyone else gave him a competitive edge.

“You wake up at 3, train at 4. 4-6. Come home, eat breakfast, relax. Now you’re back at it again 9-11. Relax … Back at it again, 2-4. Now you’re back at it again, 7-9. Look how much more training I have done by simply starting at 4,” Bryant said.

“So now you do that and as the years go on the separation that you have with your competitors and your peers just grows larger. By year 5 and 6, it doesn’t matter what kind of work they do in the summer — they’re never gonna catch up,” he added.

Unconventional methods like these allowed Bryant to become a dominant force in the basketball world.

Post Edited By: Karthik Raman
Gilbert Arenas Kobe Bryant

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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