![]() Arenas playing for the Magic. | |
No. 0, 1, 9, 10 | |
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Position: | Point Guard |
League: | NBA CBA |
Personal information | |
Full name: | Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. |
Born: | January 6, 1982 Tampa, Florida |
Nationality: | ![]() |
Physical stats | |
Listed height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight: | 215 lbs (98 kg) |
National Basketball Association career | |
Debut: 2001 for the Golden State Warriors | |
Final game: 2012 for the Memphis Grizzlies | |
Career information | |
High school: | Grant High School (Los Angeles, California) |
College: | Arizona (1999–2001) |
NBA Draft: | 2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 31st |
Selected by the Golden State Warriors | |
Playing career: | 2001–2013 (12 years) |
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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Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. (born January 6, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He is currently a broadcaster and sports commentator, who owns two popular podcasts.
Arenas attended Grant High School in the Valley Glen district of Los Angeles, California, and accepted a scholarship offer to the University of Arizona late in his junior year. He entered the 2001 NBA Draft and was selected in the second round (31st pick) by the Golden State Warriors.
Arenas became a restricted free agent after the 2002–2003 season, signing with the Washington Wizards, where he flourished into an NBA All-Star.
Arenas is a three-time NBA All-Star, three-time member of the All-NBA Teams, and was voted the NBA Most Improved Player in the 2002–03 season. Arenas was nicknamed "Agent Zero", due to his former jersey number and his late-game shot-making ability. He also was nicknamed "Hibachi", a nod to the small Japanese barbequing device, which literally translates to "bowl of fire." Both names quickly became fan favorites during his time in the Washington, D.C. area. He has also been nicknamed "Gilby."
Arenas was suspended for most of the 2009–10 season because of handgun violations stemming from an episode on December 24, 2009, and for subsequent actions that appeared to make light of this episode. This involved a confrontation where he and teammate Javaris Crittenton brought guns into the locker room and threatened to shoot each other after a fallout from a betting incident.
In late 2010, Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic. After the 2011 NBA lockout, Arenas was the first NBA player to be waived under the "amnesty clause." He signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2011–12 NBA season. Following the end of the season, he signed with Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and played one season before retiring.