Gilbert Arenas has never been shy about delivering blunt truths, and his latest comments took aim at Patrick Beverley while making a larger point about the pressures on NBA superstars. Speaking on his stream, Arenas explained that when playoff time arrives, certain players must sacrifice everything for their team’s success, and others, like Beverley, simply don’t carry that same weight.
“When the playoffs start, let’s say Trae Young is going to New York. There’s one nigga on the team that can’t go out. He can’t go out, eat, he can’t go out late. He gotta watch film, gotta watch his body, gotta get his rest, gotta get his massage because he is the focal point of the team. That would be Trae Young.”
“1000 percent, if Pat Bev wanna go out and get drunk all night, it won’t affect the team play. That’s the difference, there’s certain people who have to sacrifice for y’all to win.”
The message was clear: stars and role players live in different worlds when it comes to responsibility. For Arenas, who was once the centerpiece of the Washington Wizards during his prime, the scrutiny on a franchise cornerstone is relentless. Everything a superstar does, from what he eats to how much rest he gets, can impact whether his team wins or loses. The margin for error is razor-thin.
Role players, however, don’t shoulder the same burden. They can be scrappy defenders, floor spacers, or energy boosts, but their production is replaceable. If a star underperforms, the team collapses. If a role player disappears, someone else can step in. That’s why Arenas argued that Beverley, despite his reputation as a hard-nosed defender, doesn’t hold the kind of influence that would change a playoff outcome.
This wasn’t the first time Arenas has taken a swipe at Beverley. Earlier this month, when Beverley and Trae Young clashed over the competitiveness of the All-Star Game, Arenas sided firmly with Young, pointing out that Beverley has never been an All-Star and therefore lacks the perspective to dictate how superstars should approach it.
To be clear, Gilbert Arenas wasn’t necessarily disrespecting Beverley’s toughness or career. Rather, he was highlighting the difference between being a role player and being the focal point. It’s a reminder of how playoff basketball magnifies hierarchy: the spotlight burns brightest on the stars, and role players, no matter how loud or intense, simply don’t move the needle the same way.
At the end of the day, if Trae Young goes out partying before a big game, the Hawks are finished. If Patrick Beverley does the same, the Hawks or any team he plays for can still survive. That’s the unforgiving truth Gilbert Arenas laid out, and it’s a truth the NBA has always lived by.
