Career Timeline of Gilbert Arenas: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Gilbert Arenas built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Gilbert Arenas is a retired American professional basketball player. He played high school basketball at Grant High School and college basketball for the University of Arizona, where he earned a scholarship. Arenas was drafted into the NBA by the Golden State Warriors as the 31st overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1997: Wizards First Playoff Berth Since 1997

In 2004-05, Gilbert Arenas guided the team to its first playoff berth since 1997.

November 4, 2001: NBA Debut

On November 4, 2001, Gilbert Arenas made his NBA debut versus the Portland Trail Blazers, going scoreless.

November 7, 2001: First NBA Point

On November 7, 2001, Gilbert Arenas scored his first NBA point with a free throw against the Toronto Raptors.

2001: Arenas Enters 2001 NBA draft

After a productive college career, Gilbert Arenas entered the 2001 NBA draft and was selected by the Golden State Warriors. He would wear the number 0 on his jersey.

2001: Drafted by Golden State Warriors

In 2001, Gilbert Arenas was drafted by the Golden State Warriors as the 31st overall pick in the NBA draft.

2001: Named First-Team All-Pac-10 and Championship Game

In 2001, Gilbert Arenas was named first-team All-Pac-10 and helped lead Arizona to the national championship game.

January 16, 2002: First NBA Field Goal

On January 16, 2002, Gilbert Arenas made his first NBA field goal in a game versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 7 points.

February 15, 2002: First NBA Career Start

On February 15, 2002, Gilbert Arenas made his first career start.

February 17, 2002: First Double Digit Scoring Game

On February 17, 2002, Gilbert Arenas had his first double digit scoring game with 12 points against the Atlanta Hawks.

2002: NBA Most Improved Player Award

In 2002, Gilbert Arenas received the NBA Most Improved Player Award, averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds for the Golden State Warriors.

2002: Became a Restricted Free Agent

In 2002, after the season, Gilbert Arenas became a restricted free agent and received a six-year, $60 million contract offer from the Washington Wizards.

March 2003: 41-point game against the Wizards

In March 2003, Gilbert Arenas scored 41 points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out five assists in a win against the Wizards.

2004: Selected for First NBA All-Star Game

In 2004, Gilbert Arenas was selected for his first NBA All-Star Game, teaming up with Larry Hughes to form a high-scoring backcourt duo.

2005: Series-Winning Shot

In 2005, Gilbert Arenas hit a series-winning shot in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Chicago Bulls, giving the Wizards their first playoff series victory in over two decades.

2005: Arenas Stats 2005-06

In the 2005-06 NBA season, Gilbert Arenas averaged 29.3 points, two steals, and 6.1 assists per game.

December 17, 2006: Career-High 60 Points

On December 17, 2006, Gilbert Arenas scored a career-high 60 points in an overtime game versus the Los Angeles Lakers, also setting an NBA record for most points in one overtime period with 16 points.

2006: Named as All-Star Replacement

In 2006, Gilbert Arenas was named as a replacement for the All-Star Game after Jermaine O'Neal was injured, and he participated in the Three-point Shootout.

2006: Withdrawal from National Team

In 2006, Gilbert Arenas withdrew from the United States national team for the FIBA World Championship, expressing his belief that the roster was predetermined.

2006: Eliminated by Cavaliers

In 2006, the Wizards, led by Gilbert Arenas, were eliminated by the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in six games during the first round of the NBA playoffs. Arenas had a memorable 40-foot jump shot during the series.

January 3, 2007: Buzzer-Beater vs Bucks

On January 3, 2007, Gilbert Arenas hit a 32-foot buzzer-beater to win the game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

February 2007: First-Time All-Star Starter

In February 2007, Gilbert Arenas was voted as a first-time starter for the 2007 NBA All-Star game for the Eastern Conference.

March 21, 2007: Game-Winning Layup vs SuperSonics

On March 21, 2007, Gilbert Arenas hit a game-winning layup as time expired to beat the Seattle SuperSonics.

2007: Arenas to opt out of contract

During the off-season in 2007, Gilbert Arenas told The Washington Post that he would opt out of his contract after the 2007–08 season, making him a free agent.

April 2, 2008: Returns to action against Milwaukee Bucks

On April 2, 2008, Gilbert Arenas returned to action against the Milwaukee Bucks after recovering from a knee injury. He scored 17 points in a 110–109 home loss.

June 9, 2008: Opted out of contract with Wizards

On June 9, 2008, Gilbert Arenas opted out of the final year of his contract with the Wizards. He expressed his willingness to re-sign with the condition that teammate Antawn Jamison was retained. He was offered a five-year contract worth more than $100 million by the Golden State Warriors and a six-year deal worth $124 million by the Wizards.

July 13, 2008: Signed contract with the Wizards

On July 13, 2008, Gilbert Arenas signed a six-year contract worth $111 million with the Washington Wizards.

March 28, 2009: Season debut after lingering injuries

On March 28, 2009, Gilbert Arenas made his season debut after recovering from lingering injuries from April 2007. He scored 15 points and had 10 assists in a 98–96 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

December 18, 2010: Traded to the Orlando Magic

On December 18, 2010, Gilbert Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic for Rashard Lewis. He was reunited with former Warriors teammate Jason Richardson in Orlando and chose to wear #1 on his jersey in honor of his favorite player, Penny Hardaway.

2010: Traded to Orlando Magic

In 2010, Gilbert Arenas was traded to the Orlando Magic.

December 9, 2011: Waived by the Orlando Magic

On December 9, 2011, Gilbert Arenas was waived by the Orlando Magic under the amnesty clause following the 2011 NBA lockout. He became a free agent after clearing waivers.

2011: Waived and Signed with Memphis Grizzlies

In 2011, after the NBA lockout, Gilbert Arenas was waived and then signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for the 2011–12 NBA season.

March 20, 2012: Signed by the Memphis Grizzlies

On March 20, 2012, Gilbert Arenas signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a backup point guard.

May 13, 2012: Final NBA game

On May 13, 2012, Gilbert Arenas played his final NBA game in the seventh and deciding game of the 2012 Western Conference First Round. Memphis lost to the Los Angeles Clippers. Arenas was only 30 years old.

November 19, 2012: Signed with the Shanghai Sharks

On November 19, 2012, Gilbert Arenas signed with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

August 2025: Host on Underdog Fantasy Sports podcast

In August 2025 it was announced that Gilbert Arenas would be a host on an Underdog Fantasy Sports podcast "The Arena: Gridiron" alongside Skip Bayless, Jay Gruden, and Aqib Talib.