Gilbert Arenas on Inspiring Dame, Kobe & Ray Allen Workouts, & KAT Backlash (Hear District Ep. 66)

Gilbert Arenas on Inspiring Dame, Kobe & Ray Allen Workouts, & KAT Backlash (Hear District Ep. 66)

damen Lillard Milwaukee Bucks You were his favorite player when he was in high school He modeled his game after you How does it feel i wasn’t one of those guys everyone really believed in I had to earn all my stripes Me with the zero in my journey inspired you know the guys like Dame Westbrook and those guys are aspiring the Holl’s and you know the guys that we have now It’s just the work ethic the the style of play and being really true to yourself and the confidence right five time allstar Marcus Johnson alongside Marcus Johnson What’s up everybody this is the here district captain of this vessel and I got my first mate my number one son Christian Johnson What up talk to me Hello Let it rain man Let it rain I guess I guess we’re going back Yeah K pass break go fight Welcome everybody to the here district market job You’re listening to a Bucks Plus audio production on the Bucks Plus Network Your weekly pulse on the Milwaukee Bucks straight from a Bucks legend This is Here District with Marcus Johnson alongside his son and 1995 NCAA champion Chris Here’s MJ All right welcome everybody to Here District I’m the captain of this vessel my first mate Chris Johnson We are the only father and son duo tandem in the history Is there more is there another thing to a father and son is there a trio to a father and son MJ i mean come on man Don’t don’t don’t interrupt my flow please my only father and son duo to to uh win a win a national championship at the same school in the history of the NBA So I got to always throw that out there And man we are so excited The man that keeps my my my second son gainfully employed One of the top podcasts in the history of podcast No no question In terms of just total entertainment value nothing nothing approaches one of the greatest shows of all time children are none We’re not just we’re not just blowing smoke Well we are just a little bit but but but we but but we’re sincere sincere about it Gilbert Arenas Gil welcome to uh here District man We appreciate you G what up baby thank you Thank you for having me man It’s pleasure Yeah Yeah Now how did you and Josiah hook up i’m just I was thinking about that How did you guys hook up the Was it a intermediary did you know it did you know each other a little bit it’s a funny one because um when I was with Fubo we were looking for a new host So I I got a list of names right and then when I came across Josiah I was like man why does he look so familiar i couldn’t place the face but I was like I know him from somewhere So while I’m looking at the phone um he’s doing his little runwalk I leave the community and he’s on his little runwalk and I’m like [Laughter] “Hey what was I doing?” Hey yo is this you and he was like “Yeah.” I was like “Yo we’re supposed to be having an interview.” Right Yo And then I was like “Yo can we can we have a conversation can you come by the house?” And I was like “I see him running every day.” Yeah Wow Outside the community And I was like “Oh.” So we end up having a conversation And I was like “Yeah you’re the guy.” Yeah No I Well I I appreciate it man Uh Chris Chris you had something no no no I was just making it clear like they live in the same community Gil just randomly happened to run into Joe after seeing the list I mean that is serendipity to its finest Yeah Yeah That that is something And Gil as I mentioned Chris and I you know UCLA connection now So I’m looking up like all time great Arizona players Now first of all let me let me say this When Chris the first time he his name came on my radar and I and I shared this with him right on his show but I used to see his name in the paper all the time in high school arenas 35 points arenas 37 points arena Latino you thought it was a Latino I thought he was a Mexican I’m like I’m like this this little Mexican out in Pqua wherever Grant they got a Mexican in Pqua that’s live and then when I found out that that that Lud Osa that signed the Mexican I was like dang l Mexican to play in Arizona that’s But but but but Gil but Gil so I’m reading um I Google I just Google man just Google you know how reliable or unreliable Google could be but all time Arizona greats and and and and I see I see I see a bunch of names on there I mean I see Shan Elliott I’m trying to figure out who’s the best player in Arizona history I see Shaunie Elliott I see Mike Bby Richard Jefferson uh uh Chase Buddinger Luke Walton Damon startmire Josiah’s favorite I mean Salem starter uh Josiah science favorites on there Miles Simon who Chris played with in AU ball Chris Mills your name is not on there man Your name What what happened you’re looking at the bottom No you got to start at the top No no no But but but this is this is the bottom It’s at the top No no but it should be That’s my point I don’t understand I mean did you leave Arizona on good terms on okay terms how did you and Luke get along at Arizona oh no no no no I was you know I left after two years Um I think I was one of the only I think there’s only was like three of us that uh got to a thousand points within our first two years I was I was I was him Yeah Well I said I saw you average 15 as a freshman You were on first team all conference as a sophomore I’m like well you know I thought maybe you have a slow starter You just decided to boat after not being super productive Even though I I remember seeing you and how good you were But anyway that was just uh No no we was we left on good terms there was there was nothing there Um like amongst us and the community I was probably one of the best players that played there Yeah Um I wasn’t there long So you know most of the people that do Damon State were three years Elliot four right you’re talking about you know maybe won a championship but when it comes to just the best player Yeah we can argue that I was the best player that they had Right Right Just a pure player himself When it comes to accolades you know there’s a few guys that’s in front of me Sure Yeah We do the same thing at UCLA with BD Baron Davis He stayed two years When you juxtapose his career next to some of the greats in UCLA history right the numbers ne necessarily don’t stack up but the impact goes well beyond I put you in that same type of boat Two years at Zona like you were one of the coldest killers that the our conference had ever seen college basketball had ever seen But it was only it was it was it was lightning in a bottle Yeah When you talk about like the history of Arizona you got you know Luke Walton you’re talking about Jason Gardner you know Richard State three years Sean he donated to the school So obviously he gonna get love He gonna get that love He was he was option four on on the you know what I mean you know a nice little check boostes you back to one So we had fun You know we we’re in we’re in good communications We’re on a group chain Uh also so all the alumni or we have our own little you know um that’s dope Uh little line of communication which is always fun especially when Damon starter enters because like whenever we get the bragging he trumps everybody and the things that he was the NIL before NIL OG and he lets us know Yes sir Did Arizona have it cracking like that we had it cracking at UCLA a little bit Arizona had it cracking Arizona had it cracking bro Were you Were you guys well taken care of down in down in Tucson Gill yeah Hey listen I listen I thought the little cars and little speakers we got was like elite And when Damon when Damon talks it’s a whole another level of uh being different He was maximizing his his his talents Let me just put it that way man So let’s So again um and I should have probably started with this but but your son Elijah I mean everything’s okay Everything’s give give us the update on him Yeah you know um he was fortunate Um it’s it’s you know I can talk about it with smiles you know Um it came out of you know nowhere I was I was actually up working out waiting for him Um because I’m usually up 4:30 in the morning So you know I look at my my app the Tesla app to see if he’s on his way home because usually he’ll work out you know uh come home and then um I give him about like 45 minutes hour to take his nap and then I wake him up for school So you know I’m looking at the app there’s you know nothing with it right and then I found out by his sister that he got in an accident because of his girlfriend has the uh live view whatever it is on his phone So she got the alert that there was an accident So you know that was that was a big big scare Yeah Um but you know when I talk to the doctor like you know everybody else is you know worried I’m talking to the doc I’m getting so is anything broken any head trauma chest trauma is you know what’s going on no it don’t look like he got anything We’re inducing him because he was stronger than we thought he was right so we can’t we don’t have any manpower when he wakes up going crazy cuz his last memory is fire right you know flying out of the car you know he’s you know saying he’s trying to open the windows windows the car automatically locked on him Um you know and you know not to bash you know the vehicle you know I’m not one of those type of people but you know there needs to be some some updated safety measures with that car I wouldn’t put anybody at a certain weight class in that car Okay Uh youth in that car because when it malfunctions instead of releasing the windows and doors it locks itself Wow Right And you’re talking about high school kids they can’t break damn near It’s not bulletproof but it’s it’s it’s if you ain’t 250 proof I can tell you that for sure Yeah Um so you know he’s saying he’s trying to kick the window through He’s on the phone with um 911 saying he’s stuck in the car He can’t get out Wow Um you know he’s trying to break it He’s trying to do everything He just he just couldn’t Fortunately you know he kind of had the window cracked enough for civilians to help him pull it open So you know bystanders you know kind of saved his life Um yeah man That’s good But he’s know he’s back He’s back training But the protocol was just to get the smoke out of his his you know that’s the real scare was just you know making sure that smoke was out of his lungs But you know I told him man that if you wasn’t a good human being like a real genuine good human being you wouldn’t have made it out of there Because you know the fact that cuz I I I guess what happened was the car itself the it malfunction malfured um it locked it the wheel locked and then just it limped and then he ran right into a fire hydrant which the fire hydrant slowed him down so when he hit the tree right so he hits the tree and then when the fire catches the water is kind of keeping the car cool No Wow Then the fact that he had the window cracked helped some of the get out of there and people to kind of open it because if there was no fire hydrant he probably would have hit hit the tree a little bit harder if there was no um if the window wasn’t cracked you know he wouldn’t have got out Yeah Yeah Yeah Um so um to this day it still hasn’t updated that there was ever a crash Never alerted me that he was ever on the road you know Um you know just for as a parent you know because I can’t I can’t go off of something that did happen right he did make it out alive Yeah Right But you know moving forward you know parents get a hammer get something in the car that if it happens to your child they can get out Get one of the window piercers because the window is proven not to to break Yeah Yeah So you’re going to need something because if your child can’t get out of a car it’s it’s it’s a death trap Well I mean it sounds like Elon Musk might be uh in store to lose a little bit more money Are you a latent person are you going to follow up with that or are you the kind of guy like long as my son is okay and let’s put it you know i mean I’m I’m one of those man I’m not in here to to to take money from from from people you know it’s the intentions of you know all I can think about his safety right his he’s safe The the the what if factor is not a thing right it’s you know I’m not one of those It’s like he’s he’s safe He gets to continue his career This is you know it’s a wakeup call for him And you know sleep sleep patterns late night Like I used to talk to him like “Yo driving 3 4 in the morning you know like what happens if you ever got an accident?” Yeah Wow You’re lucky I’m one of those people that’s up that early Right Right Right But if if if people aren’t up that early right if you know anything can happen Right So it it was it was I look at it like it’s a it’s a it’s a awakening just for just who you are as a person But you know because you are a type of person that shakes everybody hand right making sure everyone’s okay Like if you see a bum on the street you’re going to make sure he’s okay because you’re that person you know the basketball gods right right Right Yeah You know saved your life So You know he’s been he’s been tuned in ever since That’s a good thing man And some so my best friend uh in life is a son of Maxine Waters Ed Waters best friend since the seventh grade He’s the current coach at Krenshaw High School Played with me at Krenshaw He played he coached against Elijah when he was a I think at least two years a junior but he’s the first one that kind of put him on my radar like man have you seen arenas like a little bit but but you got to be how proud are you USC what he’s a McDonald’s all-American all the things that he’s man his development and and I love Gil what your approach is like I’m not going to put him in a powerhouse Sierra Canyon situation where he’s going to be a third or fourth option as a freshman we’re coming in hot We’re coming in hot where he’s getting the basketball You’re doing the same thing with your daughter out of Notre Dame But talk about Elijah and and and and where he started from where he is now and and your feelings about that Yeah you know when I did the research on you know um these super teams right winning I because there was enough data I can see the results Where are these kids how do they they fare in college and then the next level who are they in the NBA and that that that final chapter what the research shows is all these five star guys when they’re grouping up as freshman’s trying to win championships when they get to that next level what they are are role players They became the perfect role players None of them ever became the the lion Yeah Right Because they never had to They always did group project type of training playing right we’re we’re beating a team by 35 So we’ve never had to really go hard in in the development of selfishness Yeah Yeah Right You’re you’re freshman through s that’s when you supposed to be individually selfish so you know how to take over and how to play team basketball when you get to college Right So once I started doing that then I started saying all right Zion is new What kind of team did Zion John Curry I started looking at the superstars and then I backtrack of their development and it was the same as before you go to your own team develop a bunch of tools that help you become a a mega star Then when you get other players on your team you know how to drop what you don’t need Right Right But you need to build you know you need to build your armor if you got to rebound you got to you know you got to pass the ball you got to hit the game you got to defend you got to break the press you got to guard the best you got to get in foul trouble but stay out of foul trouble But you learn how to play and become an animal When I when I seen Krenshaw the first game I called him and I said “This is going to probably be one of the hardest games you play in your high school career.” Game one He was like “Why?” I said “Because you’re playing literally one against a team They’re going to trap you They’re going to rover you They’re going to beat you up They’re going to bodys slam you If you think you’re in shape you’re going to realize what you need to do.” This man called me after He said “Yo what the hell was that?” He said “What was that?” He said “They beat me up They trapped me.” He said “It was the most frustrating 18 points he’s ever had.” Shaw dog baby I said “That’s why you’re there.” Yeah You’re at the school you are at because of teams like that See people think super teams help you win No Teams like Croft helps you get better Yeah Because you got to break their press Then you got to have enough energy to score Then you got to defend them You got to start like that’s what you’re there for to understand how to be a fullblown lion full of hyenas and you got to be able to stand on your own That and he said “Yeah I I need to I need to get on the track and I need to get in shape.” Yeah He said because that’s what’s going to happen all year long Yeah Yeah Gil Gil I was curious about Elijah’s development in the early stages because he has to me when I see him play he has one of the most unorthodox games I’ve ever seen for a guy that size in the way he handles the ball How much skill work versus three on three or five on five or live action play how did you balance skills and actually throwing him into the fire getting him that burn that run that good bump uh when he was growing up yeah So he started round 10 So he didn’t really know understand basketball or knew anything till about 12 But because I always had basketballs around the house I used to just dribble when he was little So what happens is he knew how to dribble the basketball Didn’t know what basketball was right so he started off as a soccer player and when he got into basketball I was teaching him footwork right foot placement understanding you know where his feet go And somebody was like “Yo is this your son?” I remember uh Daryl the coach from Cavs was like “Yo you have a son by the name Elijah he’s in my program.” I was like “Yeah.” He’s like “Yo are you sure this is your son he’s trash.” And I was like “Yeah he doesn’t know how to play basketball right but he he picks up everything fast So you know just you know work with him a little bit And then once he started like liking the sport full-blown right then it was basically yo we’re not shooting threes You don’t shoot threes right you’re going to learn because you’re He was a skinny framed kid Yeah You sitting there chucking the ball So under the free throw line is your is your bread and butter So he was probably about 14 So for at least two years I wasn’t letting them just fire up threes Yeah Yeah From there was just movement Then it was training like pros This is how pros are training Right And it was always playing up So even when he was 12 he was playing 13u When he was 13 and he became like you know decent player You’re playing 15 years Yeah So before he even got into high school he was already playing against JV and varsity players Yeah So that’s what kind of helped him taking him to the parks right playing with adults right you know um people didn’t people don’t know what the be he wasn’t ranked early because he wasn’t playing AAOU He was playing adult league and playing at adult parts Wow And and that was really the key I just went back to old school and say “Wait a minute.” Yep It’s no different Let him go play against the adults let him go play against the bigger kids so he can feel that he don’t have an advantage Makes him play 100% every time because he doesn’t have an advantage against these kids Nobody he is the weakest person on the court at all times Yeah Yeah So listen man talk about inspiring young players Uh I just read something that Damen Lillard Milwaukee Buck uh that you were his favorite player when he was in high school He mo modeled his game after you Uh I guess he saw you play when your early stages of your career when you’re with the Warriors up in Oakland man How does it feel man to to be the inspiration for this younger generation of of guards in the NBA man it’s it’s the inspiration of the inspiration man Right Where you know you start to do something just like you right you inspired MJ MJ inspired others right there’s always someone that inspires someone to to to keep it moving right so me with the zero in my journey right inspired you know the guys like Dame um Westbrook and those guys are aspiring right yeah the the Holl’s and you know the guys that we have now but it’s just the work ethic that the style of play and being really true to yourself and the confidence right so when you see the guys with these zeros one thing they do have is what confidence confidence in themselves Yeah Right That’s the the the zero is the guy who really truly believes in his craft when no one else does Right Right I wasn’t I wasn’t one of those guys everyone really believed in I had to earn all my stripes Right Westbrook same thing right wow Yeah Dame in in in uh Blazers right same thing Hie overrated It’s the same that the symbol is what it is It’s self-belief And every step of the way those guys that’s wearing that number you’re like Jesus Christ they all have the same pattern Yeah Right No one believes in what they’re doing right but they always seem to shine when you need them to That like yesterday I got on I got on the Westbrook jersey Like game one I got on the Westbrook jersey to then throw on Holly because I knew I knew his belief in his shot So I already knew what time it was I already knew it was game time right so already I from zero to zero Let’s go Oh man And that that’s I I never thought about it like that Like like in terms of just standing on the shoulders of greatness you know in terms of Dame idolized you Tyrese Hallebertton has said publicly that Damene was his favorite player that he idolized him as a player man And so God that’s and that’s the beautiful thing about about sport about basketball in particular You know I’m a guy that go back to to Elgen Baylor and pretended I was Elgen on the on the playgrounds and then it was Dr J and then all of a sudden Michael Jordan talks about you know I was his favorite player when he was you know that man people don’t understand that that that kind of connection on that elite level man That elite level is something that drives us keeps us going right Chris i mean I’m trying to remember who who your guys were Grant Hill guys like that Chris when you came up but that’s the beautiful thing about basketball man is that connection that we have with each other Yeah man No it’s a great connection Gil that that brings up something I was thinking about So now when you have this role right this legacy in basketball and then you you go on a couple days ago and you said some things about Cat that weren’t received very well by the general public Do you feel a responsibility to measure those type of sentiments because you later came you know they brought you back on the show you kind of backtrack but not really Um what do you feel about just the public sentiment about your statements and do you feel like you have a responsibility not to kind of go there or what people consider crossing the line you know I I think sometimes I do a great job at like taking something that is actually a real fact and making it unbelievable to the point where you’re not really paying attention to what I’m saying but how I’m saying it Remember what do people say about Cat himself right you’re talking about him in a way that’s not respectful Anyway I just add the the body look to it and everyone’s like “Wait what do you mean right?” So what happens is this I get the topics right i see a regular topic Yep This is what people don’t understand about me I take a regular topic Um the New York Knicks is they had their frustrations with Cats defense Little sore footed and big feet Oo bad hips So I Google took a I’m on Google looking at cat I’m like I’m just gonna make the I’m going to tell you the truth of what he is but I’m going to do it in a funny joking way that’s going to make a splash right and I I know what people get irritated about So all I do is just say “Hey hold on You don’t need to get on him about his defense It’s not his fault It’s not his fault All right He has too many hips right he got the towelbearing hips right you know that You know what I mean he has big foot You know he has Mary J Blaze Wow I’m just adding the extra in it just for the splash But but in in the reality the proportion of his body there’s just certain people he can’t keep up with especially with you know him gaining more weight right you’re trying to keep up with Giannis in that powerful frame You have to be built a certain way right you know you know you can’t be built like muffin muffin tire right got little legs big top It’s just that that’s just your body frame Same thing with Luca Same thing with um um Jokic right it’s just certain body styles that just doesn’t allow you to move left to right or front to back Offensively it kind of helps him because if you’re overly athletic he can use your speed against you That’s what Luca does That’s what um Jokic does right you’re trying to beat him to the spot and he knows and so he knows how to spin off of those movements Yeah Right So it’s just really understanding like it’s not like I’m just saying it I googled them Right I appreciate it Hey I appreciate your method to your method understanding you know the body and how the body moves and realize you know it’s just saying people just take it so so personally I guess you know it’s just the history of of controversial takes that people just lump this one right into all the rest But hey I I don’t have a dog in the fight I was just curious man I’m glad you gave us that introspection because I didn’t realize you were you know that’s your thought process behind the whole scenario Even even with this if you know because you know I have two daughters that play So you know girls basketball they have this bad habit Well I think it’s a bad habit because you know as a righty we’re taught to pivot on our left foot and we have our right foot as our jab foot Mhm For some reason girls basketball are on their right foot jabbing with their left foot right like they’re lefties He does that right he does the same thing He’s on his right foot jabbing with his left foot Yeah You don’t The reason you can’t blow by anybody right you’re on the wrong pivot foot I’m like WNBA right so that’s where all that comes in it comes into the research and then I just paint the picture Okay Yeah Yeah Tell you I just give it a funny take you know but still being kind of you know factual about it but I know no one’s going to care about the fact It leads me into this next topic of conversation as we switch reals As Brad Pun used to say in LA you had in your mind and and people that knew your talent coming out of college lottery pick you slipped to the second round Allegedly you had an interview Now I read somewhere was was GMs or somewhere when they asked you what was your ultimate whatever whatever something about being an international pimp I don’t know where that that conversation came out but but would you do would you do anything differently in terms of taking that process I don’t know more serious is is is a term that that enters your mind at all But but what was your mindset and and that that caused you to to to maybe slip to the second round because of of the pre-draft kind of process see now that’s that’s a hard question because I know the results right well the results are good Ultimately I wouldn’t do nothing different because Yeah I got I got Yeah I slipped in the second round So I got hit in the head early but that that me going in the second round I got them a contract faster right before anybody in the first round So because I know the results I get to say “Yeah I’mma keep doing the same thing.” Now when you’re coming into this market of the next level right you think it’s about basketball itself So Chicago we’re working out right the players I see these are the player These are my competitors This is the wild wild This is the open field This is the jungle right so we’re here fighting for our lives right i’m making a a name for myself amongst my peers right i take no I’m coming at your head I’m trying to tear your head off I don’t give it I don’t care if it’s lifting weights I don’t care if it’s max jump agility drill or the oneonone to I took all that serious Yes sir Yeah I remember the first incident that that I bumped heads with this idea of uh combine It was the treadmill stress test Yeah I got ready for this I’ve been running at UCLA all goddamn summer right i’m I’m putting I’m putting people 50 yards in front of me to run the 200 right just so I have the max out I’m running five miles I’m doing the bleachers That’s where I met Norm Nixon out there Oh man Norm right i’m I’m doing like I’m getting in peak peak Yeah to go there get this treadmill test and they say uh so I asked first person so what’s the top time right in my mind I’m ready to do an hour 32 hours on this thing and they said 18 minutes and me I’m like that’s all someone did is 18 minutes oh my god and they were like no just go to 18 minutes and it stops wait so just every just 18 minutes that’s it so everything like how do they know who’s in shape how do they know who’s elite how do they know who has willpower to go through pain Like if we just all get to stop at 18 how like how do you know if someone is not looking at this say “Okay I want to give up but my willpower takes over and I got to do another 20 minutes.” Mhm This test does not do it Yeah There’s a flaw in the system 3 minutes 18 it doesn’t matter at this point So I’m like “Yeah I don’t want to do it.” Right So I put on my Chuck Taylor and then I’m going I I put my basketball shoes down you know and now I’m doing it in the Chucks I’m You know what i don’t want to crease my Chucks up You ran in Chucks You ran in Chucks It was no longer serious You high top high top Chuck Gil the casual Chucks because I used to bend them I used to sides right so I’m like the idea of willpower being broke and the the the ultimate competitor is is gone out of this element This there’s no this means nothing So why why take this seriously so that alone I was done off of Um and then you know my comments was we we’re doing a it was the seminar Now I don’t know if I’m the only person who did this but I don’t know who taught me this but they said “Look to really sniff out who’s who you put them all in the room Where they sit kind of lets you know who’s good who’s not who’s talented.” He said the front row is un what was the word there people who’s looking for validation they want to be seen They they it’s hey I’m here Look at me I’m proud Those are not confident in their skill right those are goody two shoes Those are the here’s my apple right middle of the road type of mindsets right c’s trying to pretend they’re A’s You’re gifted You’re gifted sits in the back right the gifted and the lazy They sit in the back The person who whatever y’all talking about I don’t care I don’t fear anything Everybody I see is in front of me So your most skilled or naturally gifted people will probably be in the back right that’s mines or you’re talking about the Elon Musk those they’re going to be in the back because what y’all talking about has nothing to do with them Now the most dangerous is the middle right your wolves are in the middle right those are the guys who’s who’s trying to blend in but they don’t want to be in the front They don’t want to be in the back right those are the ones that can walk in the middle of a sheep pal and they done ate everybody up before you even notice them Right so when I said I’m looking at who’s who asking “Hey man who is that dude right there?” Right so So what I wanted to do is this You know you have the Stanford guys and the D the guys in the front of course right i had a trash right one of the twins got the mic and he’s asking questions So I already like “Hey yo tell Twin give me the mic.” So Twin was a Valley kid too So we knew each other So I I said I I’m like “Yo I’m about to say I want to be a pimp.” Right richard Jefferson said “No you’re not.” Right so I’m trying to gather what Well let’s see what what everyone does So I yell out “Yeah uh what was that question again?” It’s like “Yeah you know so what do you what do you It’s like what do you what are you trying to get out of being an NBA player?” So it was something along those lines And I said “I want to be a pimp.” And then gave gave the mic back I wanted to see in the middle who turns around to see who said it right because I know strong minds really don’t give a about who says anything They’re just going to keep forward You know what I mean they they are not going to look behind them They don’t care right so I’m trying to see and the person that was kind of in the front that I was looking at was like the Joe Johnson It was like Joe Johnson It was someone It was like you know those guys And I’m trying to figure out because I don’t know I’ve never seen these people before right because this is where everyone is So all the number one two picks I didn’t know who none of these guys were Yeah Cuz they’re not the guys who was at the combine right these this was the the Rolls-Royce This was the red carpet type of people So this is the first time I’m seeing them So I’m trying to gauge right and then a guy up there got really angry at that comment Like I guess I mean I’m sure it’s a you know I guess he was serious about it So he said “Wait excuse me sir So you’re saying you want to you know what’s the name women and this and this and this And I’m like damn Okay All right So everybody’s looking at me like oo And I was like you know what so it’s like if I backtrack and just say I was just kidding they’re going to think I’m weak-minded right if I double down they going to know I’m I can’t be broken right no matter what kind of this is authority here right i won’t be broken amongst my peers They’re going to think I’m crazy So when it it goes down to the game winners and stuff like that they already this is their first introduction to me So I said “Yeah yeah You know what i’m sorry I’m wrong Um I don’t want to be a pimp I want to be an international pimp.” And then everybody was like like “Yo like you know what I mean?” Like so now now you got the Jojo like who is like everybody in the front of me now back at the double down Like who the double down in the middle of you know what I mean these are this is a serious thing But I made the decision It’s like yeah I got I gotta let I got to let the peers know that hey listen I take everything I take everything and I go full I’m I’m a double downer right i’m back I double down Do you think that contributed to you falling out the first round of course Yeah of course Um that sucks That’s weak I got pushed in the second round because it it’s considered immature Not serious Right now I just told you my process of why Yeah Super serious Super serious Super thoughtful Super insightful Yes Because they don’t know that Yeah They don’t know what they were looking at Yeah They’re going surface They’re going surface Surface Yeah They’re going straight surface Yeah They That’s the problem with all of these combines Yeah The people who are sitting here looking they do not know what they’re looking at They don’t know what to look for Wow Right You when you’re saying “All right work out one by yourself.” How do you know who he really is when he’s put amongst another alpha male or a underdog dog How do you know what he will do that’s why you can’t see Brunson coming right because Brunson only comes when he’s being attacked right if you’re in a one-on-one element or by yourself element you don’t see him You don’t see a Draymond Green You don’t see a Jokicage You don’t see a me Right So when you sit back and say “How the how the hell Jokicage falls?” Because when you when you take the surface look and you say “All right by yourself he looks slow running down right he has no lift.” Right The the element of basketball is not being applied to him for you to see his gifts Right So so in terms of the terms of the Bucks second rounders Tyler Smith Andre Jackson Jr Chris Livingston Ryan Rollins Jericho Sims Gary Trent Jr A one piece of advice you could give to those guys Do you do you do you approach it with a chip with some some resentment with some anger i mean this modern basketball player do you have to you know you have to change kind of that that intense kind of of an an approach how would you how would you advise guys like that in terms of progressing in their careers at second round picks it it’s no different than the old stories of Michael Jordan the old stories of Kobe Bryant right as elite as they was they always felt that they was being disrespected Disrespected Disrespected Disrespected Even if the disrespect was created by themselves Well Gil I was college player of the year My disrespect was that I couldn’t shoot I I remember doing a camp down in San Diego Matt Calvin great guard He he bit into that uh bought into that reputation And so during a demonstration Kiki Vanderway some other great players Johnny Nash down there Kurt Rambles at this camp I was at UCLA my senior year These are high school guys He brought me out there as an example of how not to to to to develop your skills He thought he was going to front me off Gil and and have me shoot like “Okay Marcus shoot shoot some shots around the basket It’s important to be a good shooter Okay Marcus come out here and shoot.” I knocked down about 12 in a row missed that 13th one and he was like “Wow I heard you couldn’t shoot.” I was like “Yeah you heard wrong.” You know and so but but but that that disrespect you know that you’re talking about can fuel you in a positive way Yeah It’s man when you’re when you’re trying to level up there’s nothing normal about being an NBA player right the the the system is the system during the season is not designed for you to get better So you have to have a your own program to get better Everyone is the same during the summer Everyone’s working out two times a day running the beach eating right cool right your advantage as a player is the season because no one has dissected the season the way it should be See in the summer we’re all d we’re all on diets right trying to get ready for the season We’re all running We’re all playing at UCLA We all have trainers right we’re all like you know not drinking and what whatever Right Right now the season is the pitfall for a lot of players So if you’re a serious player and you’re trying to get better that’s when you do it because what ends up happening is that’s when all the drinking comes in because they’re traveling See wives and kids is not involved from city to city So that’s when the bad habits of an NBA player happens That’s when when we go to Miami I’m going out Oh I’ve been I’ve been locked down all summer So the late night the partying the gambling right i’m not taking this shot serious I’m only going practice Maybe get some shots here So if you stick to your summer program during the season you can elevate faster Wow That’s when you at your most disciplined So when I realized that my second year or after my first year like looking at everybody’s bad habits I’m like “Oh wait hold on If I put my three a day program into this NBA season they can scale faster right i’m only going to go out once a once a year right whoever part is going to be the best that’s all I’m going to I’m not going out in Miami like that I’m not going to New York I’m not going out I’m I’m going to be disciplined at the workplace If I want to party I’m a party in the summer when I’m not on the clock Right So think about it Marcus We get wowed while we’re on the clock Yeah And discipline and discipline when it’s time to relax Yeah Discipline off the clock Getting ready So because amazing understood that I’m like this is when I can three times a day So I can come in at six o’clock work out and then do team practice Right Everybody’s going to stay within that hour Okay Right I’ll stay with them too just to make sure nobody’s doing nothing more than me Right And then Chris Mullen told me this Hey try to work out around 5 to 7 He said “Why is because you need your body used to producing at this time This is your game time.” Yeah Right Your game time is getting ready from 5:00 to 7:00 When 7:00 hits start working out then Right Prepare at 5 work out at 7 So you know me I’m not playing but I never really grasp And then when I started thinking about it like this is what time I get into the gym this is what time the lights come on So if my body is used to performing at this time I will all I wouldn’t have to worry about like oh man one of these games So I was always ready One:00 games killed me Because one:00 games is after practice after we eat lunch and I nap Yeah So naturally my body wanted to shut down when we go to Toronto and we got to play that 1:00 you know afternoon game my body just wanted to shut down because that was used to going to sleep right you know what I mean so those are the games I kind of like had a falling off on You know I just couldn’t get out of it Um but you know the these guys that are trying to get better that feel are disrespectful Create you a system during the season that has you scaling up Yeah Don’t fall into the NBA model Yeah We play we practice from this time to this time I might come back a little bit later We go to Atlanta Oh let’s go to the strip club Oh let’s go to this chicken joint No no You find your 24-hour fitness Like me I There was no first bus Yeah I didn’t know what the first bus was Don’t even know what it looked like I knew yellow cabs Right after practice I took a nap Soon as practice was over I went took a nap I woke up at 2:30 to 3:00 and I was in a cab going to the gym Wow Wow Right because I heard Kobe was at the gym at 3:00 Right And if Kobe’s at the the gym at 3:00 and Clark that is my favorite player and that’s one of the best players in the league then he must be on to something Right Right Right So you know my second year when I realized cuz I didn’t I didn’t know that until um Luke Walton got to the Lakers and I’m asking all these Kobe things and he’s telling me like “Yo so is he on the first bus or the second bus?” He’s like He ain’t on the bus No Kobe’s already by the time he said by the time I get cuz I was like “You got to be on the first bus right?” He was like “Yeah.” I was like “Is Kobe on that bus or he’s in the second bus?” He was like “No Co is at the gym around 3:00.” Wow He’s like “No he’s I said the the rims are not even up then.” He’s like “Yo Co is at the gym at 3:00 When I get there first bus he’s already done showered and you know he’s basically resting and stretching and all that stuff.” So I was like “All right look when we play you guys I’m going to the gym at 3 I I want to see this.” Yeah I went to the gym I was there at 2:45 3:00 Kobe is walking into the gym They tried to kick me out and cuz they didn’t know who I was although I played for the Golden State Warriors I just got here a little bit early I didn’t know the protocol So they was like “All right All right.” Yeah What I seen changed my whole career I seen a a man going through a workout like he was fighting for his life Wow The intensity the intensity of this was unreal Like on the on the pump fake like he’s getting mad at a trainer because the trainer ain’t jumping and the and when the trainer jump he’s not falling on the That’s real That’s real though He got by him with the first [ __ ] and pulled up and nobody was there And what the hell are you doing someone’s going to always be there And I’m just like sitting there like 500 just 500 same movement same intensity Yeah And that right there changed my workout Like I’m working out Chris Mullen Like this was very different Yeah Yeah This was like unre seen it again Like I went my whole career I’m at three o’clock Kobe was there every single time Even days he wasn’t playing right The next closest thing was Ray Allen Ray Allen was the closest person to come in consistently So because I’m there every road trip those were the two most consistent people I’ve ever seen there that early Not my team them two Yeah Co and Ray Allen LeBron James and when LeBron came 2005 2004 five LeBron James Sprinkle here and there Steve Nash Yeah So those are kind of like the four that like like when I think about okay I’ve seen them more than one time Those are the four through my whole my whole career that was there you know early early early times Yeah All right man Well listen man Before we wrap this up u I got a question kind of off the beaten path So so Giannis suggested to Adam Silver about the International versus the US for the All-Star game Now and here’s but this is a different question I first broached that subject to David Stern in an interview back in 2004 and David Stern was like “Well no the game is international and it’s just too much you know cross-pollination on teams of Anyway so he poop.” So but here’s here’s the question So on my flight back to that was in New York My flight back to Los Angeles I’m sitting in first class It’s empty There’s one lady to my right couple hours over She beckons me to come over I go over there her She tells me she’s afraid of flying and could I sit with her for this 5-hour flight i’m kind of looking I recognize her a little bit I think she’s maybe one of the pointer sisters But I sit down and it’s Gail King It’s Gail King So we sit down next to each other for five hours She’s listening to to Josh Groin and giving me her her headphones or whatever checking you know just a great conversation Now I’m like two years sober at the time I don’t really have my footing underneath me She’s invited me to her birthday party her 50th party in December You fumbled the bag You fumbled the bag I told I told Chris about like “Dad how come you I” I was like “Man it was just way too much woman for me at that at that moment in time.” Has there ever been a situation for you man where where with a woman where you you meet or you see or you interact with that just you just felt like intimidated by no Yeah Of course I mean you know when you talking about you know just some of these women that you watch on TV like they’re just super stardom right um yep It’s just like even though you a confident person because you in your It’s just like oh it it catches you off guard you know what I mean it’s like you didn’t get the prep work for this Yeah Right You know what I mean it was it just one of those like I remember I seen I mean she was married like Holly P Robinson like we we caught our eyes I don’t know if it was flirt or what but I’m just sitting there just stuck like you know what I mean caught me a few [ __ ] Maya it was it was a few where I Okay My manly wasn’t manly Okay So so I’m not alone So I’m not alone All right I just want to make sure I’m not alone in this All right And and then put it put a period on the story Uh Chris was working doing some things with NBC working on a pilot and needed to to put together an interview list I called her you know cold call a few months later after I flew with her on the plane and uh he flew out to New York She sat down with him for two hours He was just like “Dad dad you you you blew it Dad You blew it.” I was like “Man I you know Gail was just a little bit too much woman for old boy back in those days man.” So yeah man But look man continued success Everything you do you got it going on man Again I appreciate uh you know keeping my son gainfully employed Josiah but you guys do a great job Kenyon I mean are you ever scared of Kenyon man he he just seems like he’s got a screw just a just I won’t say loose but not just totally tighten sometimes Are you ever you know you ever worry about that brother no No Listen like as as rough as Kenan is you’re talking about a guy who did go to college four years Yeah Right He had Bob Huggin right he thrived under Bob right he he understands his element right he’s with Jason Kid He’s he’s been a professional professional How he plays the game right is very different on off the court Right Right You know King off the court is very when it when it’s about basketball right the just the element of basketball the competitiveness when the cameras is off Kenan is like one of I’m not gonna say soft because that’s not the word use Yeah I got he bar like he’s gonna barbecue give you some slides like you like you be like it’s this like yeah you know I’m in the house guarding you going to come through you like gardening So he does have this this right this this this softer side that you wouldn’t expect but it’s a great balance for him Yeah Right But we’re not we’re not any type of competition for someone like Ken because he’s really secure with you know his aggressiveness So we don’t even like we’re little puppies to him Yeah Right So he’s going to bark and we back He doesn’t get offended by you know Well whoever whoever Yeah whoever whoever put that crew together I mean in terms of just like you say the balance and the disparity of opinions and then and and then and and it’s just the conversation man is just always compelling and that’s why you guys I think are so successful So and I also like to say that that Gil like since being day one uh watching the show right each every single person on your panel has evolved as far as tightened his skill set gotten gotten dope with you know research or whatever it is Every guy that I see on that panel is a completely different guy than I saw when you guys first started the show And that’s a that’s a compliment to you a testament to y’all’s show Joe everybody behind the scenes man It is truly one of the great shows of all time I’m not just saying that And I don’t give out compliments very easily and lightly And not because my brother on the show but y’all really be having us like rolling like laughing to levels that are just incomprehensible Incomprehensible bro Trust me You know it’s it’s we do a great job of information questioning information and entertainment Yeah Right So no matter how much research I do it’s irrelevant to someone like Rashad McCo it’s meaningless to people who have opinions Yeah Right And that’s a lot of society That’s a good thing Yeah Right So when I say “Hey Michael Jordan’s the best because of this this this this this this this this.” He erases it with “Well that’s not my opinion My opinion is Kobe Bryant’s the best because,” and then he’ll name some stuff Then we’re like “All right let’s go back and forth.” And no matter where you give it’s 10 toes down He don’t And that’s that’s a group So no matter who you like on a couch you’re gonna agree with someone Yeah Yeah Because the couch is not never going to agree with each other Yep Yeah Right Y that’s just the way it is So it’s a it’s a couch that’s outsmarting each other just like the barberh shop Yeah Kind of right You’re trying to prove your points and just some people are just like I don’t care what you’re talking about Yeah Yeah No you got you lost They lost six times in a final and no goat can lose that many times Facts right that’s just that’s just the fun part of the show And you know the fact that when we started the show we didn’t know what it was We didn’t know who we were It’s just that all right this is the concept Let’s start We’ll figure it out as we go And that’s the that’s the the successful business model If you have an idea start it Yeah While you’re going it’ll create itself Right If you think you’re going to create a perfect show and then start it and you think that show that you created perfectly is going to be the same show that you have it’s not going to happen Yeah Right You have to get into it start doing it figure out what you’re good at what you’re bad at and then start developing these skills and then it turns into the vision Yeah And you know that’s what this show is Like one thing I did know is Josiah has to be the host Yeah It’s it’s a it’s a skill that you either have or you don’t right right Yeah Let it happen organically Like being a ball player you never you never know what you’re going to need during the course of a game So every game is is is a is a storyline into itself you know and it just kind of plays out before you So that’s a beautiful thing Look if you know how to do it you know how to do it Yeah And somebody’s like “Yeah you know we need you to host like this.” And I was like “One thing I do know I’m not a host.” Yeah I’m an entertainer I stay in my lane right hosting is not my lane Entertainment is my lane Right I let the host be host I do not step on the shoes I don’t try to figure out what the the the what the rundown is That’s that’s what you do right i’m gonna irritate you a little bit just to you for the entertainment part And that’s what usually happens sometimes I think sometimes some people want to try to you you hire someone to do something that they’re good at That’s the reason And then you try to tell them how to do their job That’s where you that’s where the buck becomes the buck And that’s where people start falling off Let you Hey everyone has a job Do it at your best ability And that’s how we work here If you’re the point guard be the point guard I’m be the shooting guard Yes sir The day I got to do your job is when I lose mine Yep Dominate your lane That’s dominate your dominate your lane Look man we’re out of here We appreciate you so much man And again continued success And please come back and join us uh whenever you can man We appreciate you All right Anytime man Give it Arenas No chill gill here on the here district This has been a Bucks Plus audio production

Agent Zero joins Hear District as Marques, Kris & Gilbert Arenas dive into his influence on Damian Lillard & a generation of No. Zeroes in the NBA. Gil shares lessons from Kobe Bryant & Ray Allen’s workouts, why he slipped to the second round and his advice for the Milwaukee Bucks’ second-round picks. He shares hilarious stories of meeting MJ’s son & his Gil’s Arena co-host, Josiah, a twist of fate at the ’01 NBA Draft Combine, his place in Arizona basketball history, Gil’s entertainer mindset & backlash from his recent comments about Karl-Anthony Towns. He also updates MJ & Kris on his son Alijah following a scary cybertruck crash, and his road to becoming a 5-star USC commit. Plus, Gil’s secrets to a successful NBA career, how Marques fumbled his chance with renowned journalist, Gayle King & much more.

0:00 – Intro to Gilbert Arenas
4:30 – Gil’s Place in Arizona History
8:08 – Alijah Arenas Crash Update
13:54 – Alijah’s Road to USC
21:00 – Agent Zero Inspiring Dame
24:07 – KAT Backlash & Media Mindset
29:06 – Draft Stories & 2nd Round Slip
40:04 – Gil’s Secrets to NBA Success
46:29 – Kobe & Ray Allen’s Work Ethic

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