Gilbert Arenas recalls 'oh s**t' moment on NBA Draft night
10/14/2024 07:06 PM
The night of the NBA Draft is a big night for draft hopefuls. The anticipation of hearing your name called is like no other; the culmination of all the hard work and sacrifice put in that led this moment. For some though, it can be an eye-opener. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas had a moment like that on draft night back during the 2001 NBA Draft.
During an appearance on fellow former NBA player Lou Williams' show, 'The Underground Lounge,' Gilbert Arenas recalls how he thought he missed his name being called on draft night when Arizona teammate Richard Jefferson was picked before him in the 2001 NBA Draft.
"When they called his name, I was like, 'Richard Jefferson?' Oh s**t I missed my name!" Arenas recalled. "It ain't no rewind button on the goddamn TV. . .they said you ain't got called yet. No, they just picked Richard, what are you talking about?"
Arenas would eventually hear his name called in the second round at pick No. 31 by the Golden State Warrior. It was a bit of a shock to him to be selected that late considering the college career he had.
"Just name by name, like, 'who the f**c is this?" Arenas said. "Cause I'm going to college, I went to the championship. My teammate, my third option, Richard Jefferson, I led my team in scoring. And he got drafted before me, like whoa, the third option, the fourth option on our team. I thought I missed my name cause there ain't no motherf**kin way my teammate went before me."
Gilbert Arenas' outperformed draft slot during NBA career
Gilbert Arenas' NBA career spanned 12 seasons and included seeing himself selected to three straight All-Star appearances. He ended up only playing two seasons for the Warriors before hitting restricted free agency. Arenas was also named the Most Improved Player during the 2002-2003 season.
Due to his nature of being a second round pick and because the Warriors were over the salary cap, they were unable to match the six-year, $60 million offer sheet Arenas signed with the Washington Wizards in the 2003 offseason.
It was during his Wizards years that Arenas blossomed into a star. He made the All-Star team from 2004-2007 and helped lead the Wizards to the NBA Playoffs in three of his seven years with the team. Near the end of his tenure though with Washington, Arenas battled injuries that would hamper him the rest of his career.
He was traded to the Orlando Magic during the 2010-11 season and played a year there before the Magic waived him via the amnesty clause. He would then play part of the 2011-12 season with the Memphis Grizzlies before finishing his playing career with a brief stint in China.
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