Gilbert Arenas
| Washington Wizards | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard/Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 6, 1982 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Grant, Van Nuys, California |
| College | Arizona |
| NBA draft | 2001: 2nd round, 31st overall |
| Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
| Playing career | Golden State Warriors 2001 – 2003 Washington Wizards 2003–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Gilbert Jay Arenas (born January 6, 1982 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards. He is also a member of the USA national basketball team. Arenas is of Cuban and African-American descent.
Rise to prominence
Both a point guard and shooting guard, Arenas previously played for the Golden State Warriors, who drafted him in the second round (31st overall) of the 2001 NBA Draft out of the University of Arizona. Although the Warriors did not enjoy much team success during Gilbert's tenure with them, he quickly established himself as one of the league's bright young talents. In 2003, his second year in the league, Gilbert was selected to receive the NBA Most Improved Player Award. After that season was one of the most sought-after free agents of the NBA off-season. Gilbert signed with the Washington Wizards, reportedly after flipping a coin ten times to decide between the Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers. Though he was hoping to play for his hometown of Los Angeles, when the coin came up seven times in the Wizard's favor, Gilbert felt that it was a sign for him to go with Washington.[citation needed]
Arenas had a disappointing first season with the Wizards, battling a strained abdominal muscle injury all season. Gilbert enjoyed great success in his second season in Washington. He teamed up with shooting guard Larry Hughes (22.0 points per game) in 2004-05 to give the Wizards the highest scoring backcourt duo in the NBA and was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game. He guided the team to a 45-win season and its first playoff berth since 1998. Arenas led the team in scoring with 25.5 ppg, and finished seventh in the league in that category. He also finished sixth in the league in steals per game in 2004-05 with 1.74 (Hughes led the league with 2.89 steals per game).
Known for his fierce competitiveness, strong work ethic, and somewhat unusual behavior, Arenas quickly became a fan favorite in Washington. In the fifth game of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2005, Gilbert hit a 16-foot fadeaway as time expired to give the Wizards a 112-110 victory over the Kirk Hinrich-led Chicago Bulls.
2005-06 NBA season
Arenas had a career year during the 2005-06 season in which he averaged 29.3 points, which ranked fourth among the scoring leaders, two steals (also fourth), and 6.1 assists per game. Despite his accomplishments, neither fans nor coaches would select Arenas to the 2006 All-Star Game. He was able to get in due to the injury to Indiana Pacers forward/center Jermaine O'Neal. Since then, he has been averaging 31 ppg on 48 percent shooting, about 2.5 steals per game, and 6.7 assists per game. He was also able to get in to the Three-point Shootout because Phoenix Suns guard Raja Bell was excused due to a family illness. Arenas was the runner up to Dirk Nowitzki in the contest. [1]
On February 25, 2006, Arenas scored 46 points in less than 30 minutes, setting the NBA record for the most points scored in 30 minutes or fewer of playing time since the 24-second shot clock was implemented in 1954. He put up twelve 40-point games and forty three 30-point games in the 2005-06 NBA season.[2]
During the offseason, Arenas said that he was willing to take a pay cut in order to give the Wizards additional money with which to sign available free agents. He has expressed a desire to win a championship with Washington. [1]
In the summer of 2006, Gilbert Arenas was arrested for supposedly interfering with police when they were arresting his teammate Avwee Storey for blocking traffic. However, Arenas denies that he had been disobeying police orders. He was processed and released the following day. Charges against both players were later dropped.
Player profile
Arenas is a prototype "shoot-first pass-second" point guard. He is a highly gifted scorer who is able to score at a clip of almost 30 points per night (2005-06 regular season average: 29.3), often using his trademark slashing drives to the basket as well as his long-range jumpshot. He is also one of the best ball thieves in the NBA, currently 2nd in the steals category with 161 (as of May 6) and 2.0 steals per game (as of November 16).
Arenas' critics point out his limited playmaking ability. His assists per game lifetime average is an unremarkable 5.4, and moreover, he is very turnover-prone, as his lifetime TO rate of 3.35 per game proves (he also "leads" the 2006 TO statistics with 3.71 and the previous three years in the top ten). In addition, his defensive game is still considered average (he has yet to be elected into an All-Defensive Team).
However, in spite of that, he is currently lauded as one of the best point men in the game, as his 2006 Eastern Conference All-Star call-up shows. [3]
In an overtime game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers on December 17, 2006 at the Staples Center, Arenas scored a career high 60 points, including 8 rebounds and 8 assists in helping lead the Wizards over the Lakers 147-141. Arenas now holds the Wizards' franchise record for most points scored in a game by an individual. The previous record was held by Earl Monroe with 56 points, achieved in 1968 which was also an overtime game against the Lakers. His 16 points in the extra period also set an NBA record for most points in one overtime period, surpassing Earl Boykins' record by one point).[4]
"Gilbertology"
When shooting free throws, Arenas is known to spin the ball around his waist and dribble the ball three times before shooting to help him be more relaxed at the foul line.
In the Greater Washington area "Gilbertology" is the name given to his often bizarre behavior on and off the court, first coined by Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan. After being commented for shooting too much as a point guard, Arenas would play games nearly without shooting at all, and then score at will the next game. Arenas admits that he thrives under criticism, using jersey number "0" because he was told that he would get 0 minutes on the floor for his former team. Arenas withdrew from the Team USA 2006 basketball team for the World Championships because he had felt that assistant coaches Mike D'Antoni and Nate McMillan had already pre-determined the roster even prior to the tryouts. Afterwards, he stated that he planned on averaging 50 points against their respective teams (Phoenix Suns and Portland Trailblazers), and has thus far stayed true to his word, scoring 54 points against the Suns on December 22nd, 2006.
While with the Warriors, he once took a shower at half time in full uniform [5]. Before every game he would take a teammate's jersey and hide it in the locker room to make them look for it. Also, Arenas can often be seen playing online poker during half-time of games[2], instead of resting or preparing for the second half. Gilbert Arenas disputes the accuracy of the story, saying he was misquoted. Arenas says he does not play for money nor does he play online; instead, he plays on a DVD game of poker. On road trips, he will often eschew team outings on the town in favor of sitting in his room, ordering products from infomercials.
At the end of each game, regardless of whether it at home or on the road, Arenas takes off his jersey and tosses it to the crowd. He originally tossed his shoes into the crowd, explaining that jerseys were too expensive for him to pay for every game. After he signed a lucrative new deal with Washington, he began to throw his jerseys out. Gilbert agreed to become a team captain for the 2005-06 season after declining the previous year because he said that many times he didn't even believe the things he was saying to his teammates. He has recently been given the nickname "The Black President", and calls himself the "East Coast Assassin", in reference to his quest to prove his abilities to those who did not vote for him to be a 2006 Eastern All Star reserve. Gilbert has also begun to refer to himself as "Agent Zero", a reference to his jersey number.
In October 2006, an ESPN.com story stated that Arenas was converting his Washington, D.C. home to simulate high-altitude conditions, stating that he hoped the arrangement would help him have more energy, especially late in games.[6]
At the Wizards' first home game on November 4, during the introductions, Arenas came out wearing a blue robe with a hood, looking like a boxer. He was supposed to resemble a "wizard."
During the 2006 NBA season, he began to shout the word hibachi as he took field goal attempts in games, explaining, "You know, a hibachi grill gets real hot. That's what my shot's like, so I've been calling it that: 'Welcome to the hibachi'." He has also stated that while he is scoring on opponents, he is "cooking chicken and shrimp" in reference to his "Hibachi grill," and that if his opponent wanted to double team him, he would "cook filet mignon" as well.[7]
On December 24, 2006, espn.com sourced the Washington Post in saying Arenas would replace "hibachi" with the phrase "quality shots." Arenas said the change was a direct rebuttal of Kobe Bryant's view that Arenas was lucky to score 60 points against the Los Angeles Lakers the previous week. "Maybe Kobe would say that was luck," Arenas said. "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 3s from 10 spots on the court. That's 100 3s."
Awards/honors
- 2-time NBA All-Star: 2005, 2006
- 2-time All-NBA:
- Third Team: 2005, 2006
- NBA Most Improved Player Award: 2003
- 2003 All-Star Rookie/Sophomore Game MVP: 2003
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2002
- NBA regular-season leader, minutes played: 2006 (3,384)
- Holds Washington Wizards franchise record for most three-point field goals made, all-time with 529 (as of the 2005-06 NBA season).
Career records
- Career high scoring 60 points on December 17, 2006 vs. the Los Angeles Lakers (breaking Earl Monroe's franchise record of 56 on February 13, 1968).
- Career 50+ point games (regular season): 2
- Career 40+ point games (regular season): 24 (23 with Washington)
- Career triple-doubles (regular season): 2
- Career 40+ point games (Playoffs): 1
NBA records
- Most points (46) in under 30 minutes, since the implementation of the 24 second shot clock. Set on February 25, 2006.
- Most points (16) in one overtime period. Set on December 17th, 2006 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Trivia
- Gilbert Arenas wears the number 0 on his jersey because that is how many minutes his critics said he would play for his college team, the University of Arizona. [3]
- His paternal great-grandfather was originally from Cuba. [8]
- He also collects jerseys of players, and has over 200.[citation needed]
- Gilbert mentors a D.C. boy who lost his family in a fire at age 10. He takes him shopping, bowling, and acts as brotherly figure toward the boy.[citation needed]
- Arenas was featured on a SLAM Magazine cover in September 2006 [9].
- Arenas is a good friend of rapper The Game and was listed in the booklet for The Game's sophomore album The Doctor's Advocate.
- Arenas wears size 13 sneakers on the court even though his feet are size 14½. [10]
- Gilbert officially sponsors Team Final Boss, a professional Halo 2 team.[11]
- Played with teammate Antawn Jamison earlier in his career with the Golden State Warriors.
- Has a daughter (born December 12, 2005). He has a tattoo of her on his chest. [citation needed]
- Arenas tosses his game jersey to the fans at the end of every game of that he plays.
- Arenas has a new shoe, the Adidas GilZero
- Arenas is donating $100 for every point he scores in each home game this season (2006-2007), while team owner Abe Pollin is matching that contribution for each away game.
Notes
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/02/18/bc.bkn.all.star.3.point.ap/index.html
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022601397.html
- ^ http://www.nba.com/playerfile/gilbert_arenas/index.html
- ^ http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20061219-123754-5995r.htm
- ^ http://kfba.net/WebModules/Players/Player.aspx?PlayerID=81
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2610922
- ^ Associated Press (2006). NBA - Charlotte Bobcats/Washington Wizards Recap Friday December 1, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2006.
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12185-2005Apr23.html
- ^ http://slamonline.com/online/2006/09/slam-102-covers-revealed
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12185-2005Apr23.html
- ^ http://www.sportsgamer.com/content/189/gilbert_arenas_talks_adidas_nba_live_07_and_halo/