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Since retiring from the NBA, Washington Wizards alumnus Gilbert Arenas has become a podcaster and even made a comeback last summer in the BIG3.
He also began a new chapter in his life: coaching youth basketball.
In an interview with KCBS-TV (which you can see below via Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington), Arenas mentioned that the late Kobe Bryant encouraged Arenas to coach and kept on him when he procrastinated. Bryant even told Arenas to stop “being an idiot on social media.”
Love seeing my guy Gilbert Arenas paying it forward. And accepting Kobe’s challenge to use his basketball knowledge to teach the youth in LA. #MambaMentality pic.twitter.com/WAEsdJRPbX
— Chris Miller (@cmillsnbcs) February 11, 2020
Arenas is now coaching a U-14 team in Van Nuys, Ca., a suburb in the Los Angeles area.
Like most basketball fans and NBA players, Arenas was affected deeply by the Lakers legend’s passing just a few weeks ago. This is a great way for him to continue Bryant’s legacy and remake his own.