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Gilbert Arenas
Personal information
Arenas with the Washington Wizards in 2008
Born	(1982-01-06) January 6, 1982 (age 43) Tampa, Florida, U.S.
High school	Grant (Los Angeles, California)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Arizona (1999–2001)
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st overall
Selected by the Golden State Warriors
Pro career	2001–2013
Career history
2001–2003	Golden State Warriors
2003–2010	Washington Wizards
2010–2011	Orlando Magic
2012	Memphis Grizzlies
2012–2013	Shanghai Sharks

Career highlights and awards
3× NBA All-Star (2005–2007) All-NBA Second Team (2007) 2× All-NBA Third Team (2005, 2005) NBA Most Improved Player (2003) First-team All-Pac-10 (2001) Pac-10 All-Freshman Team (2000)

Career statistics
Points	11,402 (20.7 ppg)
Rebounds	2,168 (3.9 rpg)
Assists	2,909 (5.3 apg)

Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. (/əˈriːnəz/ ə-REE-nəz; born January 6, 1982) is a former professional basketball player from the United States. He played as a shooting guard and point guard. Arenas was known for his exciting style of play. Fans nicknamed him "Agent Zero" because of his jersey number. He was also called "Hibachi" for his ability to "cook" (score a lot of points) against opponents.

Arenas played for the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, and Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA. He was an NBA All-Star three times. He also won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in the 2002–03 season.

Early Life and College Basketball

Growing Up in Los Angeles

Gilbert Arenas was born in Tampa, Florida. He grew up in Los Angeles, California. He played basketball at Ulysses S. Grant High School. His jersey number, #25, was later retired by the school. This means no other player at the school can wear that number.

Playing for the Arizona Wildcats

Arenas received a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Arizona. He was only 17 years old when he started college. In his first year, he played in 34 games. He averaged 15.4 points per game.

In 2001, during his second year, Arenas was named to the First-team All-Pac-10. He helped lead his team to the national championship game. They lost to the Duke Blue Devils. After this season, Arenas decided to enter the NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting with the Golden State Warriors (2001–2003)

Arenas was chosen by the Golden State Warriors in the 2001 NBA draft. He was the 31st pick overall. He wore the number 0 on his jersey. This was a reminder of how some experts thought he would play "zero" minutes in the NBA.

Gilbert made his NBA debut on November 4, 2001. He scored his first points a few days later. He quickly became an important player for the Warriors. In his second season (2002–03), Arenas won the NBA Most Improved Player Award. He averaged 18.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. He also won the Most Valuable Player award in the Rookie-Sophomore game during the NBA All-Star Weekend.

Becoming a Star with the Washington Wizards (2003–2010)

After his time with the Warriors, Arenas signed a big contract with the Washington Wizards. He became the main player for the team.

First All-Star Season (2004–05)

In the 2004–05 season, Arenas was healthy and played very well. He teamed up with Larry Hughes. They became one of the highest-scoring duos in the NBA. Arenas was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. He led the Wizards to 45 wins and their first playoff appearance since 1997. He averaged 25.5 points per game.

Arenas during his tenure with the Washington Wizards

In the playoffs, Arenas made a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls. This helped the Wizards win their first playoff series in over 20 years. They later lost to the Miami Heat.

Continued Success (2005–07)

Arenas continued to shine in the 2005–06 season. He averaged 29.3 points per game. He was named an All-Star again. He also participated in the Three-point Shootout. Arenas was known for making exciting shots. One memorable shot was a 40-foot jump shot in the 2006 playoffs.

In the 2006–07 season, Arenas had an amazing game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored a career-high 60 points. This set a new record for the Wizards franchise. He also made several game-winning shots at the buzzer. These included shots against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Utah Jazz. He was voted a starter for the 2007 NBA All-Star game.

Injuries and Challenges (2007–10)

Towards the end of the 2006–07 season, Arenas tore a ligament in his knee. This injury affected his playing time in the following seasons. He played only a few games in the 2007–08 and 2008–09 seasons.

In 2008, Arenas signed a new, long-term contract with the Wizards. He wanted to stay with the team. However, his injuries continued to be a challenge.

In the 2009–10 season, Arenas faced serious off-court issues. These issues led to him being suspended by the NBA for most of the season. When he returned for the 2010–11 season, he changed his jersey number from 0 to 9. He did this to put the past behind him.

Moving to Orlando and Memphis (2010–2012)

Arenas with the Magic in 2010

In December 2010, Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic. He played as a backup point guard. The Magic made the playoffs but lost in the first round. In 2011, Arenas was waived by the Magic. This meant his contract was ended early.

In March 2012, Arenas signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He again played as a backup point guard. The Grizzlies made the playoffs but lost in the first round. This was Arenas' final season in the NBA. He was 30 years old.

Playing in China (2012–2013)

After his NBA career, Arenas played for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played one season there, averaging 20.7 points per game.

Life After Basketball

Broadcasting and Podcasts

After retiring from playing, Gilbert Arenas started a career in broadcasting. He hosted a sports show on YouTube. He also has his own podcast called The No Chill Podcast. In 2023, he launched another podcast called Gil's Arena. He hosts it with other former NBA and WNBA players. Arenas is also a regular co-host on Shannon Sharpe's podcast, Nightcap.

Personal Life and Family

Arenas has four children. His son, Alijah, is a highly-rated basketball player. He has committed to play for the USC Trojans. His daughter, Izela, is also a talented basketball player. She has committed to play for Louisville. In July 2024, Arenas announced his engagement to Melli Monaco. They were married on January 20, 2025.

Arenas is a friend of rapper the Game. He collects basketballs from every team he played against. He also collects over 400 autographed jerseys from other players. He has supported PETA's anti-fur campaigns.

Arenas has also given back to the community. He donated money to local schools in the D.C. area. He also mentored a young boy who lost his family in a fire. Arenas helped him get a job as a ball boy for the Wizards.

Arenas had his own line of Adidas shoes, including the Adidas Gil Zero. For one season, he wore a different pair of shoes for almost every game. He wore 77 different pairs in total.

Career Statistics

Regular Season Performance

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2001–02	Golden State	47	30	24.6	.453	.345	.775	2.8	3.7	1.5	.2	10.9
2002–03	Golden State	82	82*	35.0	.431	.348	.791	4.7	6.3	1.5	.2	18.3
2003–04	Washington	55	52	37.6	.392	.375	.748	4.6	5.0	1.9	.2	19.6
2004–05	Washington	80	80	40.9	.431	.365	.814	4.7	5.1	1.7	.3	25.5
2005–06	Washington	80	80	42.3	.447	.369	.820	3.5	6.1	2.0	.3	29.3
2006–07	Washington	74	73	39.8	.418	.351	.844	4.6	6.0	1.9	.2	28.4
2007–08	Washington	13	8	32.7	.398	.282	.771	3.9	5.1	1.8	.1	19.4
2008–09	Washington	2	2	31.5	.261	.286	.750	4.5	10.0	.0	.5	13.0
2009–10	Washington	32	32	36.5	.411	.348	.739	4.2	7.2	1.3	.3	22.6
2010–11	Washington	21	14	34.6	.394	.324	.836	3.3	5.6	1.4	.6	17.3
2010–11	Orlando	49	2	21.6	.344	.275	.744	2.4	3.2	.9	.2	8.0
2011–12	Memphis	17	0	12.4	.406	.333	.700	1.1	1.1	.6	.1	4.2
Career		552	455	35.0	.421	.351	.803	3.9	5.3	1.6	.2	20.7
All-Star		3	1	15.0	.261	.250	.500	1.0	2.3	1.0	.0	5.3

Playoff Performance

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005	Washington	10	10	45.0	.376	.234	.766	5.2	6.2	2.1	.6	23.6
2006	Washington	6	6	47.3	.464	.435	.771	5.5	5.3	2.2	.7	34.0
2008	Washington	4	2	23.5	.389	.417	.833	1.8	2.8	.5	.0	10.8
2011	Orlando	5	0	16.2	.429	.250	.667	2.8	2.4	.2	.2	8.6
2012	Memphis	6	0	12.5	.250	.000	.000	1.2	.2	.0	.0	0.7
Career		31	18	30.1	.410	.305	.769	3.5	3.8	1.2	.4	17.1

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1999–00	Arizona	34	31	32.1	.453	.292	.750	4.1	2.1	2.1	.3	15.4
2000–01	Arizona	36	33	29.0	.479	.416	.724	3.6	2.3	1.8	.2	16.2
Career		70	64	30.5	.466	.361	.738	3.8	2.2	1.9	.2	15.8

Awards and Achievements

Gilbert Arenas earned many awards and honors during his career:

3-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007
3-time All-NBA Team member:

Second team: 2007
Third team: 2005, 2006

NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2003
NBA All-Star Rookie/Sophomore Game MVP: 2003
NBA regular season leader in minutes played: 2006 (3,384 minutes)
NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December 2006.
7-time NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month for April 2002.
Featured on the cover of the video game NBA Live 08.
Won a Weblog Award for Best Celebrity Blogger in 2007.
All-Pac-10 First Team: 2001

Career Records and Milestones

Scored a career-high 60 points on December 17, 2006, against the Los Angeles Lakers. This broke the Wizards' franchise record.
Had 3 games where he scored 50 or more points.
Had 29 games where he scored 40 or more points (28 with Washington).
Scored his 10,000th career point on November 6, 2009.
Holds the NBA record for most points scored in an overtime period (16 points).

Washington Wizards Franchise Records

Held the franchise record for most three-point field goals made all time with 868.
Holds the franchise record for most points in a single game (60 points).