For all his explosive talent and on-court showmanship, Gilbert Arenas never let the world see every part of his identity. Beneath the stat lines and highlight reels lived a quiet obsession, and it was not with his own legacy but with that of another giant of the game: Kobe Bryant. Well, many of you could be huge fans of Kobe Bryant or know someone who is one, but are you as big a fan of the “Mamba” as Gilbert Arenas? Test yourself.

While Arenas carved out a prolific career—three-time All-Star, All-NBA honors, and a 60-point masterpiece at Staples Centre—his admiration for the Black Mamba wasn’t just surface-level. It was etched into his very skin. He recently made a huge revelation about his love and how closely he followed Kobe’s life, not just as a competitor but as a fan. Although Kobe might not be present with us today, his memories and his aura are still alive, and Gilbert Arenas reveals how it will stay with him till the very end.

Long before murals and Mamba Mentality hashtags dominated timelines, Arenas was channeling his Kobe fandom in private, away from the camera flashes. The ex-Washington Wizards star finally let down his guard on the Dan Patrick Show, admitting to a little-known tattoo: Bryant’s famous No. 24 etched onto his leg. “I got a 24 tatted after he won his championship by himself,” Arenas revealed, referring to Bryant’s 2009 triumph without Shaquille O’Neal. “You proved everybody wrong.” The tattoo, hidden until now, was his way of celebrating Kobe’s emancipation from the “sidekick” narrative.

Bryant himself had never seen this touching tribute. Still, it tells volumes about the impact Kobe had on Arenas, even during his own Olympic journey. Arenas wore No. 10, a deliberate homage to a chat with Bryant, when he competed in the 2006 FIBA World Championship. “If you ever played in the game, what number would you wear?” Arenas recalled asking. Kobe’s response? “I’m wearing number 10 because it’s one more than Jordan’s nine.” Bryant, too, wore No. 10 when he finally joined Team USA in 2008. What started out as a fan-to-idol tribute turned into a moving of the baton that not many people knew about.

“I’m a fan first,” Arenas said. “If I wasn’t an NBA player, I’d be that crazy guy outside with paint on, asking for autographs.” That devotion bleeds into the way he decorated his space, with OKC and Indiana jerseys lining his walls. Yet, he claimed that he is one of the biggest Lakers fans alive. His career may have revolved around scoring, being a leader, and occasionally indulging in controversies. But Arena’s heart was, and still is, wrapped in purple and gold, especially with Kobe, whose recent rant made waves on the internet

Gilbert Arenas saw Kobe Bryant’s tattoo as a symbol of admiration for a player whose struggles went beyond his scoring and his quest for recognition. As Arenas put it, Kobe “proved everybody wrong” in 2009-10, and he wanted to keep this memory forever, but not in the form of a jersey, tweet, or a statement, but forever inked on his own body.

Arenas Calls Out Kobe Bryant Disrespect and “Ring Culture” Hypocrisy in Fiery ESPN Debate

In a recent ESPN segment that reignited the long-standing “ring culture’ debate, Arenas did not hold back when challenging narratives that link excellence to just championships. Arenas flipped the debate by directly refuting Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of LeBron James and his alleged departure from Kobe Bryant’s mindset. “When did ring culture become a thing?” he asked pointedly. “Something that a structure needs to win does not boost you in front of individual accomplishments.”

The ex-Warriors star argued, using Kobe Bryant’s career as a case study, that Bryant received disrespect during his time, despite having already won three titles. “In real time, Kobe had three rings. Y’all wasn’t treating him like a three-ring player. You were treating him like a sidekick. He was considered a sidekick. He was considered a Robin. He was considered the next Pippen,” Arenas highlighted the way media outlets compared Bryant to other players, even though the latter had no rings at the time. Arenas exposed a hypocrisy at the heart of the ring-obsessed culture, which didn’t even spare the players that this culture was supposedly built to honor.

Arenas’ main point was clear: Kobe’s fight with Shaq was never about being selfish; it was about showing that he could be a leader. “The fallout is you only respect the driver of the car. No one respects the passengers of rings,” he declared, claiming that in the NBA, real respect is acquired by unwavering leadership rather than by shared glory.

Arenas didn’t stop there. He drove his point home by referencing Scottie Pippen’s career. “You got Scottie Pippen with six rings, who is ranked on the all-time list 32. You got people that don’t have rings that are in front of him.” In other words, the media and fanbase selectively highlight the significance of rings, usually when it aligns with the broader narrative. By using both emotional language and logical analysis, Gilbert Arenas once again demonstrated that being a fan and being a truth teller are not mutually exclusive. But when it comes to Kobe Bryant and his legacy, Gilbert Arenas is always going to defend it like it’s his own.