Though Kobe’s looming Xmas day clash with Flash is at least one of tomorrow’s key Blow Off The Relatives Moments (the T.O. / Hetero Garcia reunion being the other), when it comes to no. 8 no. 24’s Battle Of Wits with Gilbert Arenas, Bryant is getting his tail kicked. From the Washington Post’s Jack McGruder (And Loud) :

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas appears to have adopted a new shooting mantra. For the time being, anyway, he said he has stopped saying “hibachi” when his jump shot is in mid-flight even though, as teammate Caron Butler said Friday, “Once he starts saying that, I know it’s money.”

Now Arenas claims to utter the phrase “quality shots,” a tweak at Kobe Bryant’s petulant criticism following Arenas’s 60-point game against Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers last Sunday.

“Ever since Kobe said I was lucky, I say ‘quality shots,’ ” Arenas said with a grin and a twinkle in his eye after scoring 54 points in the Wizards’ 144-139 overtime victory over Phoenix before 18,422 at U.S. Airlines Center on Friday.

“Maybe Kobe would say that was luck. It’s luck when you score 30 or 40, but luck can’t get you 50 or 60. Every game before the game, I make 10 threes from 10 spots on the court. That’s 100 threes.”

Wizznutzz weighs in on this unseemly squabble :

Kobe snipes “Gilbert has no conscience!”

And who are U Kobe? Raskolnikov?

Da nerve of this guy!!!! of all people, Kobe is KING OF BAD TOUCHES!!!
and thats not even counting basketball!!!

In a barely related note, Wizznutzz, while still getting over City Paper’s case of mistaken ID, has launched a new line of Agent Zero actionwear, promising “these arent no cafe press junk! These use hi quality printing that will outlast clothing, like Abe Pollin!!!”