Gilbert Arena on Kobe Bryant Taking Revenge on Him after “Black Mongoose” Insult: “They Respect You for Coming at Them. They Don’t Respect You for Respecting Them”
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Kobe Bryant directs his teammates during a game against the Timberwolves on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, at Staples Center. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Gilbert Arenas once scored 60 points vs. Los Angeles Lakers during the 2006-07 season. Gilbert called himself the ‘Black Mongoose’ on the phone to Kobe Bryant after that game. This led to Arenas being nicknamed the ‘Black Mongoose’ from that time on.
However, Kobe didn’t forget that from Gilbert. Even on that call, Kobe made it known that he’s going to remember this. 2006-07 was Gilbert’s third straight All-Star season, and he was at his peak. He used to get the ‘best offensive player’ shouts that season and the 60-point performance at the Staples Center was another testament to it.
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EL SEGUNDO, CALIF. – APRIL 30, 2013. Kobe Bryant talks with reporters after his exit interview with the Lakers on Tuesday, April 30, 2013, at the team’s training facility in El Segundo. (Photo by Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Kobe remembered it and in another Wizards vs Lakers fixture, retaliated with game-high 39 points. Arenas recently opened up on Kobe’s revenge on him after the ‘Black Mongoose’ incident.
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Gilbert Arenas opens up on Kobe Bryant retaliating after the ‘Black Mongoose’ insult over the phone
Three-time All-Star Gilbert Arenas recently appeared for an interview on VladTV. During the interview, he talked about the ‘Black Mongoose’ incident and Kobe’s revenge on him after the insult.
“I got respected more from him on that game because I didn’t back down,” Gilbert Arenas said.
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“The top-tier people, they respect someone who comes at them. They don’t respect someone who respects them and like ‘oh no I’m good’. They train too hard for you to like like ‘oh I’m sorry’. No, like you think he puts in hours and hours and hours of work for you to back down. No, he wants your best. So after that game, it’s like when we like really came close.”
Kobe Bryant was famous for his competitive spirit. He demanded more from his teammates as well as his rivals. Despite all that happened on the court, Kobe always had a good relationship with everyone off the court. Gilbert and Kobe engaged in their trash-talking, but they had a good relationship after that.
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After the ‘Black Mongoose’ insult, Kobe retaliated with 39 points against the Wizards on the road. Arenas recorded 37 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop Kobe’s Lakers from running away with a 118-102 victory. Kobe got his revenge in the end and even became the scoring champion that season.
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