Gilbert Arenas sideline

RICHMOND, Va. – Back in the summer, Gilbert Arenas(notes) had rediscovered his old game as these young, earnest NBA guards begged for him to unleash his old act, too. The shots were dropping out of the sky inside a Chicago gymnasium and witnesses watched the uninitiated players desperate for the full treatment.

They barked “Agent Zero” and “Hibachi” and wanted to see the cartoon character come alive. Only, Arenas refused to play the part anymore.


Three knee surgeries limited Gilbert Arenas to playing only 15 games the past two seasons.
(NBAE/ Getty)

“Just straight Gil,” Tim Grover remembered Arenas telling them in his gym.


Perhaps Arenas is too sheepish to bring all that back until his greatness, until his knee, has shown staying power again. Through training camp and one preseason game, through word and deed, this has been the calculated presence of a man with an impulsive past. Three years ago, Arenas never stopped shooting and never stopped talking. An improbable rise out of nowhere had elevated on the precision of a peerless jump shot and the power of a peculiar persona.