Gilbert Arenas life and biography

Gilbert Arenas is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays as a point guard and shooting guard.

Arenas attended Grant High School in Valley Glen, California, and accepted a scholarship offer to the University of Arizona late in his junior year. He entered the 2001 NBA Draft and was selected in the second round (30th pick) by the Golden State Warriors.

Named to the All-NBA Second Team once (2006-07) and to the All-NBA Third Team twice (2004-05, 2005-06)… Became Washington’s first player since Elvin Hayes (1972-73 to 1976-77) to be named to an All-NBA team in three consecutive seasons…Three-time NBA All-Star (2004-07)…Captured the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in 2002-03…Named MVP of the Rookie Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend in 2003…Appeared in 465 career NBA regular season games with Golden State and Washington, averaging 22.7 ppg., 5.6 apg., 4.2 rpg. and 1.72 stlpg. in 37.3 minpg….Also played in 20 playoff outings, averaging 24.2 ppg., 5.3 apg., 4.6 rpg. and 1.80 stlpg. in 41.4 minpg....One of only two players in Washington history (Walt Bellamy) to score 2,000+ points in three consecutive seasons (2004-05 to 2006-07)…Set a new Washington franchise scoring record with 60 points at L.A. Lakers on Dec. 17, 2006…Tied the Verizon Center scoring record with 51 points vs. Utah on Jan. 15, 2007…Is Washington’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made (821)…Recorded four career triple-doubles…Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week seven times during his career and Eastern Conference Player of the Month once (Dec. 2006)…Scored 40+ points 29 times in his career, and 50+ points three times…2009-10: Played and started in 32 games with Washington, averaging 22.6 ppg., 7.2 apg., 4.2 rpg. and 1.28 stlpg. in 36.5 minpg….Scored 30+ points seven times, including a season-high 45 points on Dec. 18 @ Golden State…Recorded his fourth career triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds on Dec. 12 vs. Indiana...Surpassed the 10,000 career point mark on Nov. 6 @ Indiana…Missed the final 50 games of the season after being suspended by the NBA…2008-09: Appeared in two games with the Wizards, averaging 13.0 ppg., 10.0 apg. and 4.5 minpg. in 31.5 minpg….Missed the first 73 games of the season following a surgical procedure on his left knee on Spe. 18

COLLEGE:

Played two seasons (70 games) at the University of Arizona, averaging 15.8 ppg., 3.8 rpg. and 2.2 apg. in 30.5 minpg. before declaring for the 2001 NBA Draft following his sophomore season...Named First Team All-Pac 10 Conference as a sophomore (2000-01)...Averaged 16.0 ppg. in the 2001 NCAA Tournament and earned the Midwest Region’s Most Outstanding Player Award, leading Arizona to the NCAA Final Four and a spot in the national championship game.

PERSONAL:

Full name is Gilbert Jay Arenas... Raised in Los Angeles…Has a son, Alijah, and two daughters, Izela Semayah and Hamiley Penny…Featured on the cover of EA Sports NBA Live ’08 video game…Had a wax statue created in his likeness for display at Madame Tussauds in Washington, DC…Formerly wore #0 because of the number of minutes his detractors said he would get at the University of Arizona…Has a collection of over 500 autographed jerseys of past and present players, and purchased a chair used and autographed by President Barack Obama at a Wizards game with a $25,000 donation to Wizards Care…Created the Zero 2 Hero Foundation to promote the safety and well-being of children by raising funds to support organizations that aid in the preservation of families through foster care, adoption and child welfare services, as well as to help the homeless…Hosted “Gilbert’s Christmas Dream” annually in December for D.C. area youth; an event which included shopping sprees, holiday gifts, roller skating parties, movie nights and luncheons in recent years…Served as a spokesperson for the NBA Fit program to raise awareness of physical fitness and nutrition to fight childhood obesity…Through the Gilbert Scores for Schools program, donated $100 for every point he scored at Verizon Center to a different school each game during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons…Supported Beyoncé’s pre-concert food donation drive in Washington, DC, during her Beyoncé Experience Tour in 2007…Joined NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson for the Freddie Mac Hoops for the Homeless Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center in 2007 to benefit six non-profit organizations that serve the homeless…Recognized by The Sporting News as one of the top “Good Guys” in sports in 2005 and 2006…Named the NBA Community Assist Award winner for the month of August 2005…Purchased $18,000 worth of goods and delivered them to Hurricane Katrina victims sheltered at the DC Armory in 2005…Was featured in Essence Magazine as part of the magazine’s “Do Right Men” issue…Through the NBA Cares program, became involved with the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Special Olympics…Owns a top-ranked Halo Team called Final Boss, which is affiliated with Major League Gaming and X-Box…Was previously nicknamed "Agent Zero" and "The Hibachi"…Has a website, gilsarena.com, where fans can learn more about his Zero 2 Hero Foundation.

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