Gilbert Arenas has a reputation of being a carefree person, who does what feels right to him at the moment. We’ve seen a lot of hot takes come because of the same on his podcast, Gil’s Arena. Although, this shouldn’t be surprising, considering it’s Gil. Agent Zero had a very spontaneous nature for those who don’t know him from his playing days. We got a good look at it in 2007 when he rose up for a between-the-legs trampoline dunk.
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As of late, we’ve seen players, especially All-Stars, be very cautious about their bodies and avoid injuries. While this risk averseness is great for the team, it can sometimes detract from the product. We saw a great example of it at the All-Star Game.
The event drew in an average of 4.7 million viewers this Sunday, a 13% decline over last year and a steep drop-off from the 7.6 million viewers it drew in just a decade ago. So, what would it take to bring the exhibition game back into the public eye? A return to the East vs. West format? The USA vs. the World showdown? Or maybe, a between-the-legs trampoline dunk from an active All-Star? It certainly worked in 2007 when Gilbert Arenas pulled it off.
More than just the feat of athleticism, Agent Zero’s trampoline dunk highlighted what made All-Star Weekend truly exciting — watching the greatest players in the world pull out their deepest bag of moves.
During a recent livestream, Arenas explained how it was a bet with Shaquille O’Neal that gave him the push in 2007. “It was the Vegas one, where I jumped off a trampoline. The dunk guys were doing a horrible job at it, right? So, Shaq bet me $10,000 I wouldn’t do it, so I ran up there and did a between-the-legs.”
However, as Hibachi would recall, even 20 years ago, coaches were not pleased when stars put their bodies on the line. “My coach is like, ‘Man, what the f**k is you doing? Hey man, listen, we got the rest of the season to worry about,’ and that’s the players,” Arenas shared.
Gil speaks on LeBron James not playing in the All-Star Game
“[LeBron] has the reason of the season to worry about…”
🎥: @GilsArenaShow pic.twitter.com/IQBhKhNNn8
— Playback (@WatchPlayback) February 20, 2025
Interestingly, Gil reached this anecdote while discussing LeBron James’ last-minute absence from the All-Star Game. JJ Redick must have been happy to see the 40-year-old prioritize his body, unlike Arenas’ head coach from 2007. At least the former Wizard walked away from that weekend with an easy $10,000.
Gilbert Arenas rarely shied away from wagers
Perhaps it is the occasional wager between players that is missing from the modern NBA. After all, fans remember moments like the one in 2012 when Kobe Bryant cold-bloodedly bet Gerald Wallace $500,000 that he would knock down the game-winning free throw — which he did.
It certainly spurs the motors of competitors like Bryant, Michael Jordan, and even Gilbert Arenas, who, before winning $10,000 off of Shaq, had earned a few extra dollars from his own teammate.
In February 2007, two weeks before the All-Star Game, the Wizards practice facility became host to a ridiculous contest between Agent Zero and his teammate, DeShawn Stevenson.
The guards engaged in a post-practice shooting contest to see who could knock down the most three-pointers, with the winner taking home $20,000. Arenas was so confident in his abilities that he added further stakes.
Stevenson would be allowed to shoot his regular jump shot while Gil would attempt 100 shots with just one hand and no jumping. He made 73 of the 100 attempts while DeShawn converted just 68, allowing Agent Zero to once again walk off the court a slightly richer man.
