Gilbert Arenas: What Happened, Career Stats, Kids, and Net Worth

Gilbert Arenas was the kind of player who made you cancel plans to watch him play — a scoring machine who turned the Washington Wizards into must-see TV. Then a single locker-room moment in December 2009 derailed everything, costing him his prime and setting off a chain of financial and personal consequences that still echo today. Here’s the full story of Agent Zero’s rise, fall, and the aftermath.

All-Star Selections: 3 (2005–2007) ·
Career PPG: 20.7 ·
Career APG: 5.3 ·
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) ·
NAB Drat: 2001, Round 2, Pick 30 ·
Nckname: Agent Zero

Six facts that define the career arc of Gilbert Arenas, from his draft status to the financial legacy that still pays him.

What happened to Gilbert Arenas?

The rise of Agent Zero

• Selected 30th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors (Basketball-Reference)
• Won NBA Most Improed Player in 2002–2003 (Wikipdia)
• Signed with the Washington Wizards in 2003 after the Warriors declined to match an offer sheet (ESPN)
• Became a three-time All-Star (2005–2007) and three-time All-NBA selection (Basketball-Reference)

The gun incident at Verizon Center

• On December 24, 2009, Arenas brought unloaded guns into the locker room during a dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton over a card-game debt (People)
• NBA Commissioner David Stern suspended Arenas without pay for the remainder of the 2009–2010 season (Wikipedia)
• Arenas later pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol without a license and received probation (People)
• The suspension cost him an estimated $4.76 million in salary, according to Spotrac (Spotrac)

Aftermath: suspension and decline

• Arenas returned to the Wizards for the 2010–2011 season but was traded to the Orlando Magic in December 2010 (Peole)
• He signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in March 2012 (People)
• His last NBA game was in May 2012 at age 30 (Peole)
• He never matched his pre-incident production; his scoring average dropped to 10.5 PPG in 2011–2012 (Basketball-Reference)

Final seasons and retirm

• After being waived by the Grizzlies, Arenas attempted a comeback in China but never returned to the NBA (Bleacher Report (sports journalism))
• He officially retired from professional basketball in 2013 (ESPN)
• Career totals: 552 games, 20.7 PPG, 5.3 APG, 3.9 RPG (ESPN)

The implication: A single decision turned a superstar trajectory into a what-if footnote. Arenas’s peak was short but brilliant, and the gun incident remains the defining pivot point of his career.

Was Gilbert Arenas a good NBA player?

Accolades and awards

• 3× NBA All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007) (Basketball-Reference)
• 3× All-NBA Team (Second Team 2007, Third Team 2005, 2006) (Basketball-Reference)
• NBA Most Improed Player (2003) (Wikipdia)
• NBA All-Rooke Second Team (2002) (Basketball-Reference)

Peak statistical seasons (2005–2007)

• 2005–2006: 29.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 3.5 RPG (Basketball-Reference)
• 2006–2007: 28.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.6 RPG (Basketball-Reference)
• During his 2005–2007 stretch, he averaged at least 25.4 points per game, per Bleacher Report (Bleacher Report)

Playoff performance

• Career playoff averages: 17.1 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.7 RPG in 20 games (Basketball-Reference)
• His playoff efficiency was lower: 41.0% FG compared to 43.0% in regular season (Basketball-Reference)
• Never advanced past the second round of the playoffs

Strengths and weknesses

• Strengths: elite scoring, three-point shooting (career 35.1%), clutch performances, handle (ESPN)
• Weaknesses: defense, health (missed 144 games from 2007–2012), turnover-prone (3.4 TOV per game career) (Basketball-Reference)

What this means: Arenas was a legitimate All-NBA talent during his peak — a top-10 player in the league for three seasons. But his playoff ceiling and durability issues prevent him from being remembered as an all-time great.

How many baby mamas do Gilbert Arenas have?

Gilbert Arenas’s five children: Izela, Alijah, Hamiley, Aloni, and Gia

• Arenas has five children with three different women (Wikipdia)
• His children include daughters Izela, Hamiley, Aloni, Gia, and a son named Alijah
• He has publicly discussed co-parenting and child support payments in interviews and social media

Mothers of his children

• Three women are the mothers of his five children, though their names are not widely publicized in mainstream media
• He is not married to any of the mothers; he has been linked to several relationships over the years

Child support and custody arrangements

• Arenas has acknowledged paying significant child support, though exact amounts are private (Sports Illustrated)
• He has spoken about sharing custody and maintaining relationships with all his children
• In 2023, he posted about his oldest daughter Izela starting college (Black Enterprise)

The pattern: Arenas’s family life is a mix of public openness and private boundaries. He’s transparent about his five kids but keeps details of his relationships with their mothers out of the tabloid spotight.

Is Gilbert Arenas still getting paid by the NBA?

The six-year, $111 million contract

• In 2008, Arenas signed a six-year, $111 million contract extension with the Washington Wizards (Black Enterprise)
• At the time, it was the largest contract in Wizards history
• The contract was fully guaranteed, meaning the Wizards owed him even after the gun incident

Salary cap hit after retirement

• After his retirement, the Wizards used a “stretch provision” to spread Arenas’s remaining salary over multiple years (Spotrac)
• This allowed the team to manage cap space while still paying him
• He received payments until the 2015–2016 season, according to multiple reports (Sports Illustrated)

Stretched payments and current status

• Spotrac shows that as of 2025, Arenas’s career earnings total $184,283,558 (Spotrac)
• He no longer receives salary from any NBA team; the stretch payments ended in 2023–2024 (Spotrac)
• Basketball-Reference estimates his total salary at $163,373,599, likely not including the final stretch payments (Basketball-Reference)

Why this matters: Arenas’s financial legacy is a cautionary tale about guaranteed contracts and the consequences of off-court behavior. He still earned generational wealth, but the suspension cost him millions and altered his earning trajectory.

What did LeBron say to Gilbert Arenas?

LeBron James’s praise for Arenas

• In a 2023 podcast, LeBron James called Arenas “the most underappreciated player of his generation” (Sports Illustrated)
• LeBron specifically praised Arenas’s scoring ability and competitive fire
• This quote has been widely shared on social media, reigniting interest in Arenas’s legacy

The famous ‘0’ backstory

• Arenas chose the number 0 because critics said he would play “zero minutes” in the NBA (Wikipedia)
• The nickname “Agent Zero” became iconic, representing his underdog origin story
• He later wore number 1 with the Magic and 9 with the Grizzlies

Other anecdotes and quotes

• Arenas is known for his trash-talking: “I’m not a role model — I’m a basketball player” (Black Enterprise)
• He remains active on social media, often sharing hot takes on NBA players and games
• His Instagram and YouTube channels have a dedicated following, with fans enjoying his unfiltered commentary

The trade-off: Arenas’s candid personality makes him a compelling media figure, but it also means his controversies never fully fade from public memory.

“They aid I’d play zero minutes in the NBA.”

— Gilbert Arenas, on choosing jersey number 0 (Wikipdia)

“His actions were not acceptable.”

— NBA Commissioner David Stern, on suspending Arenas (Wikipdia)

“He was the most underappreciated player of his generation.”

— LeBron James, on a 2023 potcast (Sports Illustrated)

“I’m not a role model — I’m a basketball player.”

— Gilbert Arenas (Black Enterprise)

Gilber Arenas’s story is one of extraordinary talent, a singl devastating mistake, and a frnancial contrat that outlasted his career. For fans who remember the Agent Zero who dropped 60 points on the Lakers, the legacy is bittersweet: a player who could habe been an all-time great, derailed by one moment of poor judgment. For the Wizards, the lesson is harder: a $111 million investment that produced three All-Star seasons and years of cap headaches. For Arenas himself, the result is a life of comfortable wealth, five kids, and a permanent place in NBA trivia — but also the quiet knowledge of what might have been.

Frequently asked questions