“He kicked everyone out of their own house” - Gilbert Arenas on Kobe Bryant's security check at a party

Los Angeles Lakers retiring Kobe Bryant's jersey
Los Angeles Lakers retiring Kobe Bryant's jersey

Kobe Bryant was one of the most prominent and recognizable athletes globally. Due to that, he often had to take extra precautions on security when he traveled. Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas recalled a funny story he heard about Bryant kicking everyone out of a house for a security check.

Arenas played 11 years in the NBA, panning from 2001-12, during which he faced off against Kobe Bryant 16 times. In those 16 matchups, Bryant had a clear advantage, winning nine of them.

In an interview with the YouTube channel djvlad, Arenas said he did not have any first eyewitness stories of great Bryant moments off the court but has heard a few funny ones.

He recalled a story that was told to him by Caron Butler, another former NBA player who played with both Bryant and Arenas. Butler invited Bryant to his birthday party, and when the Lakers forward arrived, he asked everyone to leave, including Butler and his family, to perform a security check.

“Kobe comes in, and you know he has security. Tell everyone one, ‘Hey, out of the house.’ “He kicked everyone out of their own house, and he had a security check to make sure everything was alright, and then they let everyone back in. He [Caron Butler] said, ‘I’m sitting outside looking like, yo bro, this is my house.’ He [Butler] said that was the way Kobe was.”
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Kobe Bryant and Gilbert Arenas combine for 105 points

Los Angeles Lakers legand Kobe Bryant with the ball in his final game
Los Angeles Lakers legand Kobe Bryant with the ball in his final game

Kobe Bryant spent his entire 20-season NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Arenas played for four teams over 11 years, including eight with the Washington Wizards.

Arenas was an elite scorer in his prime, averaging 27.7 points through his three All-Star seasons. Bryant averaged 25 points per game throughout his career and is one of the best players in NBA history.

Both players were great isolation scorers, and on December 17, 2006, they combined for 105 points in an overtime game between the Wizards and the Lakers. Arenas went off for a career-high with 60 points, while Bryant had a respectable 45 points.

Arenas and the Wizards would win 147-141 in overtime. Bryant added 10 assists, while Arenas had eight of his own, and both had eight rebounds.

Even though Kobe Bryant and Arenas were never teammates, they still had a historical offensive battle. Even though Arenas didn’t have an eyewitness accent of a great Bryant off-court moment, it is still always nice to hear about his life outside of the NBA.

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