John Wall's Favorite Kobe Bryant Story Includes Gilbert Arenas' Antics

BYAlexander Cole2.5K Views
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John Wall
John Wall recounted the story of when he played against Kobe Bryant for the first time.

John Wall has had a pretty interesting career in the NBA thus far and having said that, it shouldn't be surprising that he has plenty of stories to tell. Recently, the Washington Wizards star went on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where he talked about a plethora of topics, including his eventual return to action.

At one point in the interview, Wall was asked if he had any interesting stories about Kobe Bryant. As Wall described, his favorite Kobe moment was during his rookie season when he played against the Lakers legend for the very first time. Gilbert Arenas was Wall's teammate at the time and made sure to bring his usual dose of antics.

“My favorite Kobe story was my rookie year,” Wall said. “We were going to play them in L.A. You know how’re like ‘there’s no way I’m about to play the Bean, like there’s no way I’m about to play Kobe.’ And I’ve got Gil on my team and Gil comes out there wearing Dolce and Gabbanas. No shoe strings, straps. Shoes, high-tops. So, I’m gonna play Kobe with a guy like Gil that doesn’t care about nothing.”

Arenas is known for his antics which only helps to enhance Wall's story. We're sure it's a moment he will remember for the rest of his life.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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