Gilbert Arenas Signs BIG3 Contract to Be Captain for 2019 Season
Gilbert Arenas is back.
The former Washington Wizards guard is heading to the BIG3, signing a contract with the 3-on-3 league as a captain. The league announced the news Thursday:
Arenas first announced he was going to join the league while doing Ice Cube's No Chill podcast this week, saying part of the reason he passed on the league in its first two years was his own lack of training, per Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post:
"I think a lot of people watched the first year to try and figure out the speed of it, and when I watched it I was like, 'Whoosh, they're really going, they're really playing basketball.' So I don't think I'm trained and prepared for that sport right there. It's one of those things where I need to train like I'm playing in the NBA again 'cause I'm not gonna let them get the best of me. So I got four and a half months to get ready for this season."
The BIG3 is expanding by four teams, to 12, in its upcoming season, opening the door for Arenas and players like him to earn a roster spot. Other former NBA players, most notably Lamar Odom, Will Bynum and Steve Blake, have recently joined as well.
Arenas said he was inspired to play partly due to a conversation he had with NBA legend and Charlotte Hornets owner, Michael Jordan.
"He said, 'You in the Big3 yet?'" Arenas recounted. "I said, 'Nahhh.' He said, 'You know what, that's a good concept.' I said, 'Why?' He said: 'Cause there's always retired players that still want to play. That's gonna be around for a while.'"
Arenas was also a three-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection (once on the second team, twice on the third team). He finished his career averaging 20.7 points and 5.3 assists per game in stints with the Golden State Warriors, Wizards, Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies.
He averaged a career-high 29.3 points per game in the 2005-06 season and in his prime was one of the game's most lethal scorers. Without question, he'll bring some sizzle to the BIG3.
