Gilbert Arenas: Trouble Being Serious?

There’s something refreshing about Gilbert Arenas. The face of the Washington Wizards publicly asserting that the team needs to take a more serious approach to next season. It needed to be said, it was dead-on accurate, and the dedication of the Wizards next season will be the deciding factor in the Wizards being the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference, or the fourth.

Problem is, Gilbert Arenas can’t be serious.

Being silly made Gilbert Arenas a rich man, and one of the most well-known players in the NBA—despite playing in an NBA wasteland. Gilbert Arenas made the Washington Wizards, not just with his play, but with his candor and his drive to be accessible to media and fans alike.

He’s intrinsically goofy, disarmingly candid, and frighteningly astute on a wide range of subjects, but it all comes together because he’s got the timing of a comedic actor and the professional dedication of a professional prize fighter. No one works harder or plays harder than Arenas, and I’ve said that with a little maturity, he could be the second coming of Muhammad Ali.

But it should not be at the expense of who he is as a person. There’s a difference between playing too much and playing the game smartly, and Gilbert will hopeful make the transition to the latter.

Unfortunately, he’s positioned himself to be a mentor to Nick Young and the rest of the young Wizards, which may prove to be as difficult a role for Arenas as it was for Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler.

Gilbert Arenas is a serious talent, but he can’t be a serious person. Washington, as an NBA city, can’t afford it and his personal brand shouldn’t have to suffer for the team to benefit.

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