2x NBA All-Star reveals Kobe Bryant’s pointed trash talk aimed at Gilbert Arenas after he dropped 60 points: “Next time, 50”

2x NBA All-Star Caron Butler shed light on the time Kobe Bryant trash-talked his Washington Wizards teammate, Gilbert Arenas. Arenas scored a career-high 60 points against Bryant and the Lakers in December 2006. Kobe Bryant finished the game with 45 points on 15-24 shooting. Caron Butler was also impactful, finishing with 27 points.

While speaking on “The Justin Time Podcast” on Tuesday, Butler revealed that Bryant called him after the game and trash-talked Gilbert Arenas:

“Hey, you tell him next time 50. Tell Gilbert 50 and I’m going to guard him. Tell him to guard me like I guard him.” [27:20]

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Butler mentioned that Gilbert Arenas wasn’t too excited about the idea of guarding Kobe Bryant and asked him to do that instead. He outlined how Kobe approached the game by sharing that even though they were friends, Bryant would never communicate with him ahead of games.

Butler shared that the two would embrace each other before kick-off, but never exchanged words:

“All right, I'm about to, you know, whatever. I might foul you, might jump on your neck, whatever."

Caron Butler also recalled that he reciprocated Bryant’s competitive spirit and committed some hard fouls on him during their many battles on the court. Butler spent 14 seasons in the NBA, averaging 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was named to two All-Star teams and won the NBA Championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Lakers superstar donated $5,000 to restore Kobe Bryant’s mural in Los Angeles

Throughout his two-decade-long career in the league, Bryant was best known for his competitiveness and killer mentality. Indeed, he commanded great respect and love from NBA stars. Fans were reminded of the impact Bryant had on the league after Lakers superstar Luka Doncic donated $5,000 to restore his mural in Los Angeles.

Bryant’s mural with his late daughter, Gigi, at the corner of 14th and Main streets, LA, was vandalised in May. Upon learning the news, Doncic quickly donated $5,000 to have it restored. The Slovenian superstar wasn’t loud about his heartwarming gesture, but fans were quick to share screenshots of his donation on social media.

Even half a decade after his death, Kobe Bryant is still fondly remembered by the basketball world. In fact, his signature sneakers were one of the most-worn shoes in the NBA this season.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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