Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s mental toughness and sportsmanship were undeniable. Also if there was one thing that great players like Jordan and Bryant enjoyed, it was trash-talking. Even in the face of a hostile audience, athletes like Jordan and Bryant showed their ability to perform. After 12 seasons in the NBA, Gilbert Arenas too learned a thing or two about dealing with hostile crowds and maintaining mental toughness. ‘Agent Zero’ was a three-time All-Star with the Washington Wizards, demonstrating his ability to deliver at times when it mattered the most.
Speaking on their mental toughness this is what Gilbert Arenas had to say “every fan from every city is gonna yell out f**k] you and they’re gonna yell at everything in their power to get under your skin if they know they can get into your skin they’re gonna do it what made Michael Jordan Kobe what makes LeBron great is when you attack them they turn up .When we look in history about those great men when they went into those environments and people got the poke in and they turn up, there was no mental weakness.”
Gilbert Arenas feels that the whole mental health issue has weakened players
Gilbert Arenas went on, citing a case from the 2019 NBA season in which Isaiah Thomas rushed into the crowd to confront hecklers. “Remember when Isaiah Thomas was with the Wizards and he’s in Philly? Someone said ‘Isaiah Thomas f*** you’. And he went in the stands and I was like ‘You’re going to get killed on the road.’ If they know they can get under your skin they’re gonna do it!“
He went on to quote Simeon Biles’s example and said “I think that’s the problem with today’s society is that once you show your vulnerability society will suddenly put you on a pedestal and think you’re the greatest thing ever because they see human right see before she wasn’t human she was this goddess she still is you know what I mean um but you know when it comes to you know more of an individual sport so she can have mental issues because she’s an individual sport she doesn’t need to do team sports so she can say f** k you guys and I just win gold medals by myself what are you going to do right
He also stated how mental health wasn’t the deciding factor back in the day whether you could play or not instead it would be your physical strength which would decide the same and cited Kevin Garnett’s example of how he would destroy players again and again if they showed off Infront of him and hurt their feelings
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