Gilbert Arenas told an interesting story on his podcast about his relationship with the city of Washington D.C. He noted that he got his Madame Tussaud’s wax figure in Washington D.C. before then-president Barack Obama, and they even swapped Obama’s figure for his because he arrived in Washington before Obama.
“I gained a lot during that summer (2008). It was the cover of that (EA Sports NBA Live 08), Slam magazine cover, and Madame Tussaud’s. I got the statue. I was the third NBA athlete to get immortalized.”
“It was Jordan, Shaq, and then me. I beat out Obama. Me and Obama got picked, and then they gave him one day, and the city switched it and said Gilbert was here first.”
Gil got his Madame Tussauds wax figure before President Obama 🇺🇸😂 pic.twitter.com/ulXEZ43UlY
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) September 1, 2024
Gilbert Arenas may be embellishing here, but it is hard to underscore how popular he was in the latter years of the 2000s. Arenas was a regular All-Star and put the Wizards on the map as a playoff team. His incredible scoring prowess made him one of the most popular players in the league.
Gilbert Arenas’ career took a turn for the worse during the 2007-08 season when he got injured, and it affected his athletic ability and scoring performances greatly. Arenas’ career quickly petered out, as he would be out of the NBA within four years, and retire from the sport altogether the year after that.
What once seemed like a promising career that would be remembered very fondly by fans ended underwhelmingly, as injuries and off-court controversies caught up to Arenas and caused him to walk away from the game earlier than expected.
Arenas has found success in his post-NBA career as a media personality, capitalizing on the post-internet era of NBA coverage with his own podcast. The former star has become one of the most polarizing media personalities, and his comments about the game usually garner a lot of interest from fans online.
Gilbert Arenas Is A Controversial Figure
Gilbert Arenas regularly riles up fans on the internet with his controversial takes. Most recently, Arenas claimed that Michael Jordan was the only elite player of his era during his career in the NBA. While many thought he was discrediting Jordan, he was actually heaping praise on him for being so far ahead of all of his peers.
Arenas also added that Jordan didn’t ever face a top-5 shooting guard in his career, which also garnered controversy. But there is some truth to those statements, as the only elite shooting guards he played were Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, and a young Kobe Bryant.
Arenas’ show has been established as one of the most entertaining shows on the internet, one that guarantees fans some hot takes and great debates. Arenas has recruited former players like Brandon Jennings, Kenyon Martin, and Rashad McCants, who all regularly make headlines with their takes on the world of basketball.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.