Jason Richardson on why Gilbert Arenas was a forerunner of today's NBA point guards: "He had a full package of an ability to score on people"

In the world of sports, controversies tend to blemish people’s memories of an athlete, with their off-court issues and shenanigans tarnishing their judgment of their on-court abilities and reputation.

Gilbert Arenas was a prime example of this. There was his infamous gun incident in 2009. Now, there are his hot takes on his podcast “Gil’s Arena,” on top of his federal charges for running a high-stakes illegal gambling operation.

Once the face of the Washington Wizards in the late 2000s, Arenas has faded into NBA history as a controversial figure who let a potentially Hall of Fame career slip away. Still, at his peak, he was lighting the league on fire.

Jason Richardson spoke about this on “Entirely NBA,” recalling how Arenas’ work ethic and love for basketball turned him into one of the most talented scorers and versatile players the NBA has ever seen, paving the way for the type of guards we see today.

Agent Zero’s arsenal

Arenas emerged as the Wizards’ franchise player because of his ability to balance his elite scoring and point guard duties, which created a blueprint for NBA stars today, namely Damian Lillard.

“He was the first one to be a combo guard, not really a point guard but not really a shooting guard,” the former Golden State Warrior said. “He just had a package of just being able the ability to score on people.”

In his second season in Washington, Arenas led the Wizards to their first playoff appearance since 1997 alongside teammate Larry Hughes. They took down the Chicago Bulls in six games — this was the franchise’s first playoff victory in over two decades. The series showed flashes of Arenas’ star potential, highlighted by his game-winning shot in Game 5, which gave them a 3-2 lead.

At his best, Arenas was one of the league’s most ferocious scorers, averaging 29.3 points and 6.1 assists per game the 2005-06 campaign, before posting 28.4 points and 6.0 assists in the season that followed.

A “gym rat” with something to prove

Arenas was selected 31st overall in the second round of the 2001 NBA draft by the Warriors. After a sluggish start, he averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his second season, helping turn things around in the Bay Area en route to winning the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Playing with Arenas during those two years, Richardson witnessed first-hand the work the then-rising star put in to reach the All-Star level. He said Arenas knew better than to rely on natural abilities alone.

“He was just that type of person that he stayed in the gym. Gilbert always stayed working on his craft stayed in the gym to get better,” former NBA journeyman said. “He always just kept on working and I think that’s the part people leave out on Gilbert. Yes, he has some natural ability, but the dude was just a gym rat.”

Richardson pointed to Arenas’ hunger to prove his doubters wrong, something he was all too familiar with when he played for Arizona State in college and why he started wearing No. 0.

“It was tough because he was a second-round pick and nobody in the second round would ever come out to be that type of level of player,” he said. “That dude had a real genuine love for basketball and you don’t see that on a lot of guys.”

With three All-Star Selections, Agent Zero was a force to be reckoned with. He even caused the creation of the “Gilbert Arenas Rule,” allowing teams to go over the salary cap to keep breakout second-rounders. No number of controversies should ever erase his impact and influence on the NBA and its star players today.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 3, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Jason Richardson on why Gilbert Arenas was a forerunner of today’s NBA point guards: “He had a full package of an ability to score on people”

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