Q&A With Gilbert <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When you came into the league with Golden State, was one of your initial goals to become an All-Star? No, my goal was to try and stay in the league because when I was drafted, the statistics were that the average player plays for four years in the NBA. I had a two year guaranteed contract at the time, so I was trying to figure out a way to get two more years in my contract.</div> http://www.nba.com/wizards/news/qa_arenas060223.html
It's so funny that outside of the Wizards fans and some others, a lot of fans from other teams actually think Arenas is an arrogant and selfish guy. Arenas is very confident. I remember when he said he does not watch how perimeter guys play, because he feels he can beat all of them off the dribble. Instead he watches how the big's react, if they're a shot blocker, he'll go into them to draw the foul, if they like to take charges, he'll pull up for the jumper. Also a lot of the comments he makes are in a joking manner, but reporters don't write jokingly next to it. Arenas is the most fan friendly player in the league, not one of, he is the most fan friendly guy, by far. He gives away jerseys etc every game, he signs 5 times more autograph's than the next guy. He doesn't have a posse when he's going around, and does things like normal people. AD was surprised when he went bowling with Arenas and he didn't have bodyguards, he said "I don't believe you don't to the star thing". He adopted a kid that lost his family, he goes to dangerous parts of DC without any bodyguards, just to check out the ballers and play some pick up ball. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Where are the jerseys?" Gilbert Arenas asked before the Eastern Conference All-Stars took the floor for a practice session last Saturday morning. Arenas had spent $1,000 for 25 Washington Wizards uniform tops emblazoned with his name, and after practice the point guard walked a slow lap around the court inside Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center, autographing each of the shirts before tossing them into the stands. On his way off the court, he stopped to sign programs and basketballs while most of his fellow All-Stars blew past pleading fans. "I don't think I'm better than them," says Arenas of his relationship with the audience. "I was a fan too -- I am still a fan. [But] I'm one of them who's actually playing." .</div> He's also the hardest working player in the league. How many other players are given keys to their practice facilities because they basically live there? Arenas ranks himself Top 20-25 in the league, I'd say you could pretty easily argue for him to be in the 15-20 range. With a better coach, and Arenas' desire, he can easily be a Top 5-10 player in the league, and I'm not overexaggerating.
true stuff, and i would always want a gilbert arenas worn jersey but just never got the chance yet, and i hope the wizards can get past the first round of the playoffs this year
What's scary is that Arenas is what? 24. He is no where near his prime. Once Eddie Jordan is bounced out of town and we get a respectable coach, if it happens, Arenas is going to explode. He's a young gun who has nothing but love for the fans and for the game of basketball. As for the hardest working player in the league, gotta give that to Kobe with Arenas right behind him.
