“I Wasn’t Good Enough”: Silencing Haters, Gilbert Arenas Reveals How Michael Jordan’s Teammate Led to Him Picking No. 0 in College

Gilbert Arenas loves talking shop with the boys during his No Chill Gil live streams, and the latest episode was no different. The three-time All-Star shared more stories from his playing days, including how he ended up wearing the No. 0 while repping the University of Arizona.

Gil only spent two years at the school but was quite successful during his time there. He averaged 15.8 points per game and quickly became one of the Wildcats’ most explosive scorers. In his sophomore year, he helped the team reach the 2001 NCAA Championship game. Although they fell short, Arenas earned All-Pac-10 First Team honors and cemented himself as a future NBA star.

Arenas racked up all those accolades while wearing the No. 0. So why did he choose such a unique number? Agent Zero answered that on his stream and revealed it was actually a response to being slighted.

“0 came from just…people said I wasn’t good enough and I wasn’t gonna play no minutes at Arizona,” stated Gil with a smile. This led to him detailing the number he actually wanted to wear, which was #25. Unfortunately, that number was being retired because it belonged to Michael Jordan’s teammate and three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, Steve Kerr.

“I couldn’t get 25. I was trying to get 25, but that was Steve Kerr’s number, and they were retiring it. They didn’t retire it yet, but they were,” he continued. “That year, the numbers 0 and 1 got available. I was like, ‘Alright, I’m about to get 1.’ And then I was like, ‘You know what, man, they said I wasn’t gonna be sh**. Let me go ahead and get 0.” 

It’s very on-brand for Arenas to do something out of spite. But in the end, it really paid off. Not only did he go on to have a highly successful NBA career, but his choice to wear No. 0 ended up inspiring future generations of basketball talent.

Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook famously donned the No. 0, too

Passing down a jersey number can feel like a near-spiritual experience. No matter what, people will see that number and think of the all-time great who wore it before, unless the new talent somehow manages to outshine them. No. 0 wasn’t a popular choice historically, and because of that, Arenas believes he was the one who started the trend.

Gil spoke about this in an old interview on the Hear District podcast. He talked about how future Hall of Famers Russell Westbrook and Damian Lillard also wore No. 0, and how they, in turn, inspired today’s generation, like Tyrese Haliburton, to carry the number forward.

“There’s always someone who inspires someone to keep it moving,” Arenas said. “Me with the zero inspired [Damian Lillard] and [Russell Westbrook]. Those guys are inspiring [Tyrese Haliburton] and the guys we have now.”

There’s a reason Arenas was known as Agent Zero, and the jersey number played a huge role in that identity. It’s created an incredible legacy, especially considering the level of talent in Dame, Hali, Russ, and Gil himself. While it may not carry the same legendary weight as No. 23, it’s still pretty cool that Arenas has left a lasting impression on the game.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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