Is Kobe arrogant or confident? His skills back up anything he does or says, I'd say he's just confident in his ability and his ability cannot be denied.
Gasol has made an impact no doubt, but I don't see his stats as anything Bynum couldn't have done or wasn't already doing before the injury, and I've said it many times when talking about Gasol's impact, I really don't think LA go looking at Gasol if Bynum doesn't get injured. For me, Gasol was just a piece in the jigsaw when they needed one, great player no doubt, but not good enough to justify for some people who have been saying he is the reason the Lakers are in the finals, he's the leader in LA, it's his team etc. Because when Shaq left, that became Kobe's job and it will continue to be Kobe's job until he leaves or retires, whatever comes first.
Again, not doubting Gasol's ability or impact, but the Lakers were playoff bound and playing well enough to be contenders before his arrival, it just so happened that their form continued after he arrived. He certainly didn't make an impact like KG and Allen have at the C's. Because that literally turned one of the worst teams in the league into a Championship team. It didn't hurt that Pierce was there already and they snagged Cassel from the Clips in a later trade either though.
Either way, a great finals is brewing in the NBA! I'm stuck for who I want to win, I'd like to see Kobe step out of Shaq's shadow and prove he can lead a team to a title, but I also think it's more than long overdue for KG to be a champion, he's been too good for too long, and it'd be a damn shame if he was to end his career without a ring.