Gilbert Arenas recently sat down with former NBA star Nick Young on his Show No Chill Gil. While the duo were chopping it up, Young would ask the former Wizards star about the details of his infamous party from back in 2007, which allegedly cost a million dollars. Arenas would then reveal that the party actually cost him more, about $2 million.
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The three-time All-Star would then detail the various aspects of his 25th birthday party. Starting with the finances, Agent Zero told his former Warriors teammate, “The money wasn’t really on the party itself. So I had to pay Diddy $2 million…I had to rent out two Ritz-Carltons…I had American Express make black cards, and that’s how you got invited…I made Jet Blue flights at certain times private.”
Meanwhile, Nick Young made sure to tease Arenas about his financial transactions with Diddy. The rapper is currently under probe for sex trafficking allegations. Therefore, Young tried to jokingly imply that Gil was also involved in some shady business. However, Arenas insisted that his interactions were way before the rapper turned ‘rogue’.
After providing a tab of the finances of the party, Arenas would reveal that the majority of the budget was spent on flights and renting hotels. Having spent so much money on the party, one would imagine that Gil had the time of his life. But the truth couldn’t have been more different. Arenas would reveal that hosting big parties often requires a lot of running around. With multiple celebrities on the guest list, Arenas barely had time left for himself once he got done greeting everyone.
The party paid off in the end for Arenas
Arenas might not have had fun at his party, but that was never the aim to begin with. The Wizards guard had thrown the party as a “popularity” stunt, as he desperately wanted to make the All-Star team that winter. But it wasn’t only about making the All-Star team either, as Arenas was still in negotiations with Adidas for his sneaker contract.
Wanting more money from Adidas, Arenas would attempt to boost his leverage during negotiations through the party. The party would allow Arenas to catch up to Vince Carter, who was leading the guards in the East in voting at the time. Following the party, Arenas would quickly gain popularity, rapidly gaining ground on Carter.
Come All-Star Weekend, Agent Zero’s plans would prove to be successful, as Arenas would be named a starter for the 2007 NBA All-Star game. Once he had made the All-Star Game, Adidas came calling. The German company would offer Arenas a more lucrative ( $5 million/Yr for 8 years) $40 million deal that summer. Arenas would happily take the deal, proving that the All-Star game had more to do with popularity than skill.
