Gilbert Arenas facts for kids
Arenas with the Washington Wizards in 2008
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 6, 1982 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 | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Points | 11,402 (20.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,168 (3.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,909 (5.3 apg) |
Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. (pronounced ə-REE-nəz; born January 6, 1982) is a Cuban-American former professional basketball player. He played as a shooting guard and point guard. Arenas was known for his exciting scoring ability and clutch shots.
He went to Grant High School in Los Angeles. Later, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Arizona. In the 2001 NBA draft, he was picked by the Golden State Warriors as the 31st overall pick.
Arenas became a three-time NBA All-Star. He was also named to the All-NBA Team three times while playing for the Washington Wizards. In the 2002–03 NBA season, he was voted the NBA Most Improved Player. Fans often called him "Agent Zero" because of his jersey number, 0. He was also sometimes called "Gibby."
A serious incident led to Arenas being suspended for most of the 2009–10 NBA season. In late 2010, he was traded to the Orlando Magic. After a player lockout in 2011, Arenas was the first NBA player to be released under a new rule called the "amnesty clause." He then played for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2011–12 NBA season, which was his last season in the NBA.
Contents
Early Life and High School
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 retired by the school, which means no other player can wear it.
College Career
Arenas played college basketball at the University of Arizona. One of his teammates, Richard Jefferson, also became an NBA player. In 2001, during his second year, Arenas was named to the first-team All-Pac-10. This is a big honor for college players.
He helped lead Arizona to the national championship game. They lost to the Blue Devils, 82–72. After the tournament, Arenas decided to leave college early and enter the 2001 NBA draft.
Professional Career
Golden State Warriors (2001–2003)
After college, Arenas entered the 2001 NBA draft. Even though many teams thought he was good enough for the first round, he was picked in the second round. The Golden State Warriors chose him with the 31st pick.
Arenas wore the number 0 on his jersey. He did this to show how many minutes some experts thought he would play. They believed he wouldn't play much because he came from a smaller high school before going to a big college team.
In his first year, Arenas started 30 games and scored about 10.9 points per game. In his second season, 2002–03, he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the Rookie-Sophomore game during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
Washington Wizards (2003–2010)
Joining the Wizards
After the 2002–03 season, Arenas could sign with any team, but the Warriors had a chance to keep him. He reportedly flipped a coin to decide between the Wizards, Warriors, and Los Angeles Clippers. The Washington Wizards offered him a six-year contract worth $60 million.
The Warriors could not offer him as much money because of NBA rules about how much teams can spend on players (the "salary cap"). A special rule, called the "Gilbert Arenas Rule," was later created. This rule helps teams keep good players who were not picked in the first round of the draft. Arenas had some injuries during his first season with the Wizards.
Becoming an All-Star
In the 2004–05 NBA season, Arenas and teammate Larry Hughes formed a high-scoring duo. Arenas was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. He helped the team win 45 games and reach the playoffs for the first time since 1997. He led the team in scoring with 25.5 points per game.
In the 2005 playoffs, Arenas made a game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls. This helped the Wizards win their first playoff series in over twenty years!
"Agent Zero" and Big Games
In 2006, fans started calling him "Agent Zero," a nickname he really liked. During the 2005–06 NBA season, Arenas scored 29.3 points per game, which was fourth-best in the league. He also had two steals and 6.1 assists per game. He was later added to the 2006 NBA All-Star Game as a replacement player.
Arenas once said he would take less money to help the Wizards sign other good players. He wanted to win a championship with the team.
Record-Breaking Performances
In the 2006–07 NBA season, Arenas had some amazing games. He scored 54 points against the Phoenix Suns. On December 17, 2006, he scored a career-high 60 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. This set a new record for the Wizards team. He also set an NBA record by scoring 16 points in one overtime period.
Arenas was voted as a starter for the 2007 NBA All-Star game. He made several game-winning shots that season, including a 32-foot shot against the Milwaukee Bucks and another against the Utah Jazz.
Towards the end of the season, Arenas got a knee injury. The Wizards still made the playoffs but were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Injuries and Contract
Arenas played only eight games in the 2007–08 NBA season because of his knee injury. He tried to come back for the playoffs but was not fully healthy.
In 2008, Arenas signed a new six-year contract with the Wizards worth $111 million. He missed most of the 2008–09 NBA season due to his ongoing injuries. The Wizards had a tough season, winning only 19 games.
A Difficult Season
The 2009–10 NBA season started with hope for Arenas. He scored 29 points in the first game. However, his performance was not consistent. He had a great game with 45 points against his old team, the Golden State Warriors.
During this season, a serious incident occurred that led to Arenas being suspended for a long time. This was a difficult period for him and the team.
Orlando Magic (2010–2011)
On December 18, 2010, Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic. He chose to wear jersey number 1 to honor his favorite player, Penny Hardaway. He played as a backup point guard. The Magic made the playoffs but lost in the first round.
After the 2011 NBA lockout, Arenas was released by the Orlando Magic. This was done using a new rule called the "amnesty clause," which allowed teams to remove a player's contract from their salary cap.
Memphis Grizzlies (2012)
On March 20, 2012, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Arenas. He again played as a backup point guard. The Grizzlies made the playoffs but lost in a close seven-game series to the Los Angeles Clippers. This was Arenas' last season in the NBA.
Shanghai Sharks (2012–2013)
On November 19, 2012, Arenas signed with the Shanghai Sharks in China. He played 14 games and averaged 20.7 points per game. The Sharks did not make the playoffs that season.
Life After Basketball
Broadcasting Career
After retiring from playing, Gilbert Arenas started a career in broadcasting. He hosted a daily 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 with Underdog Fantasy Sports. He hosts it with Josiah Johnson and features other former NBA and WNBA players. Arenas is also a regular co-host on Shannon Sharpe's podcast, Nightcap.
Personal Life
Gilbert Arenas has four children with Laura Govan. He met her when he played for the Warriors. His son, Alijah, is a highly-rated basketball player for the class of 2025. His daughter, Izela, is also a top basketball player and will play for Louisville in college. In July 2024, Arenas announced he was engaged to Melli Monaco.
He has cousins who are professional football players, Javier Arenas and Armando Murillo. Arenas is also friends with rapper The Game. He collects basketballs from every team he plays against and has over 400 autographed jerseys.
Arenas has done charity work, donating money to schools in the D.C. area. He also helped a boy who lost his family in a fire by getting him a job as a ball boy for the Wizards.
He had his own line of Adidas shoes, the Adidas Gil Zero. After a challenging incident in 2009, Adidas ended their sponsorship. Instead of signing a new deal, Arenas wore a different pair of shoes for almost every game, wearing 77 different pairs in one season!
Awards and Honors
- 3-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006, 2007
- 3-time All-NBA Team member
- NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2003
- NBA All-Star Rookie/Sophomre Game MVP: 2003
- Cover Player of NBA Live 08 video game
- Set the Wizards' franchise record for most points in a game (60 points).
- Set an NBA record for most points scored in an overtime period (16 points).
Images for kids
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Arenas with the Washington Wizards in 2008
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Gilbert Arenas during his tenure with the Washington Wizards
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Arenas (left) in 2007
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Arenas with the Magic in 2010
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In Spanish: Gilbert Arenas para niños
- List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
- List of people banned or suspended by the NBA
