In the NBA, the pursuit of a championship ring is often viewed as the pinnacle of success, a dream that many players spend their entire careers chasing. Gilbert Arenas, a name synonymous with on-court brilliance, has unfortunately never experienced the sweet taste of victory with an NBA title.
However, in an ironic twist, Arenas somehow possesses an equal number of championship rings as the late legendary Kobe Bryant.
Gilbert Arenas revealed his Kobe Bryant equating NBA ring collection
Gilbert Arenas recently shared a captivating revelation, disclosing that he owns all 5 of the late Kobe Bryant’s championship rings. The story behind this unique possession, actually unfolds the construction of a few personalized duplicates. These duplicates, are often crafted on demand by the champions themselves for “friends and families” that usually come with a price tag of $20,000 to $22,000.
This narrative, however, takes an unexpected turn as Arenas, who is not related to the Lakers icon, opted to have the rings personalized to a great extend of having it with his last name labelled as, “Arenas” instead of “Bryant”. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the value of these rings isn’t solely defined by their price but in fact, by the names inscribed on them.
With that being said, Arenas introduces a very interesting subplot where the quest for championship rings are still on the run, even after retirement, proving that sometimes, even the most compelling stories, actually lie beyond the final score on the court.
Arenas advocates for Kobe in GOAT conversation
In the unending debate over who deserves the title of the greatest basketball player of all time (GOAT), the names like LeBron James and Michael Jordan would frequently dominate the conversation. However, amidst these towering figures, the legacy of Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, stands out.
The former NBA point guard, Gilbert Arenas, engaged in a compelling talk at the GilsArenasShow, where he argues that it’s not merely the accolades that define greatness but the willful spirit and attributes that a player brings into the court.
“We don’t go by your stats” stated Arenas, “we don’t go by the accolades, we go by how the person played, what was his attributes right, When you think about the greatest players of all time, 90, 80 percent of them have God gift of natural talent, ability, body…”
Unlike such God gifted players; Arenas, a keen observer of the game, praises Kobe’s extraordinary work ethic. Arenas also brought to light that with Bryant’s lack of extraordinary speed or massive hands, the man still managed to maneuver the basketball landscape like a maestro conducting a wonderful symphony.
He vividly describes Kobe’s game playing style as one who was “pushing a S 500 like a Bugatti”, a metaphor encapsulating the extraordinary feats that were achieved with seemingly ordinary tools. Arenas’ closing statements were to let everyone know that the Lakers legend, has defined his legacy with five NBA championships, 18 All-Star appearances, 4 MVP awards, 2 Finals MVP awards, and 15 All-NBA team selections.
Besides all the stats and numbers, who else do you think that deserve to be in the GOAT conversation?
