Michael Jordan played Gilbert Arenas just twice during his 11-year NBA career. When Arenas was drafted in 2001, Jordan had just joined the Washington Wizards and was already on his last legs. Still, he was putting up very good numbers, especially considering he was 38 years old during the 2001-02 regular season. Considering his game continued to hold up, and Gilbert’s young age, many believed the GOAT would win with ease when the two faced off. However, as ‘Agent Zero’ revealed, not only did he have the beating of MJ every time they met, but he also attributed his career earnings of $163,475,636 to it.
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Jordan likely isn’t a big fan of Arenas telling the world about how he embarrassed him with his 41 points against him. However, this isn’t the only one of his statements that will anger ‘Black Jesus’. No, the former NBA player once even said that LeBron James has long surpassed Michael in the GOAT debate. Explaining how James had to overcome the comparisons of both MJ and Magic Johnson, he delivered a rousing argument for why LeBron is his GOAT already. However, despite his admittedly very convincing words, the debate remains unresolved.
Gilbert Arenas explains the story of how he torched Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards
Gilbert Arenas had the potential to become the next big thing in the NBA before injuries, unfortunately, derailed his career. So, stories of him embarrassing even the best in the NBA during his younger days aren’t as uncommon as one may expect. Explaining the story of how he did the same to Michael Jordan, here is what he said, as seen in the Instagram post by @gilsarena0
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“I gave that f**ker 41. I think me and Antawn [Jamison] still hold the record for a duo to score the most points against the Wizards. I did 41, he had 39. Larry [Hughes] was there. That’s what got me paid, they’ve seen what I did to MJ.”
On the night, Jamison actually had 37 points, while Jordan himself tallied a solid, if not unspectacular 24 points.
It is hard to blame Gilbert Arenas for boasting about being unbeaten against the great Michael Jordan. After all, even among the greatest to ever do it, very few players escaped with that tag. In fact, this likely won’t be the last time Arenas boasts about it either.
Arenas would eventually play for the Washington Wizards himself
Joining the Washington Wizards in 2003, Arenas would continue to play for the franchise for 8 seasons, before eventually leaving in 2010. During his time there, the guard saw arguably the best seasons of his career, as he averaged 25 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. As mentioned earlier, he seemed to be on the path to superstardom at this time. Unfortunately for him, things would change before long.
The Wizards gave Gilbert Arenas’ iconic No. 0 to rookie Bilal Coulibaly. I asked him how he felt about it. His answer is amazing. pic.twitter.com/jIKuicjcx4
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) June 29, 2023
Making his money as an explosive guard in the NBA, the health of Arenas’s knees was always of tantamount importance. So, when he suffered his first knee injury, it left countless fans beyond worried about what his career would look like. As time wore on, things only went downhill from there, as he sustained more injuries, and unfortunately most of his explosion and mobility.
On a brighter note, he is now a fan favorite within the NBA community, as he hosts ‘Gil’s Arena’. Telling stories and the inside scoop about multiple personalities from in and around the league, the former NBA player never seems to want to hold back with his words, something that has brought in a whole new fanbase for him.
