Gilbert Arenas Jr, currently point guard for the Washington Wizards, is a force to be reckoned with. The first 40 games of his career the coaches said he would get "0" playing time.
Arenas was born Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. on January 6, 1982 in Miami, Florida as a Cuban-American and was raised by his father. His teenage mother got arrested for drugs and Gilbert Jr. did not see her for 20 years. He and his father are close and Gilbert, Senior attends all of his games. Gilbert attended Grant High School in Van Nuys, and attended the University of Arizona. He currently resides in Virginia and is a single father of a daughter, Izela Samaya Arenas.
Arenas joined the NBA after being drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2001. Twenty-nine NBA teams passed him up in the first round of the draft stating that he was too small. He persevered and kept practicing. He was not as explosive as he is now but he was quick and very talented. His powerful journey started in Arizona when he received the Most Improved Player Award for 2003. After that, all the coaches throughout the league wanted him. He couldn't decide so he flipped a coin and ended up with the Washington Wizards.
At 6'4", Gilbert is now the best point guard in the NBA. Through hard work and perseverance he helped prepare the path for the Washington Wizards to the playoff for the first time since l997. With the opening of the 2008-09 season at the Verizon Center on October 29, 2008, Gilbert will continue to take off his #0 jersey and toss it to the crowd members at the end of the each game.
