There are many things that Gilbert Arenas is. A talented offensive basketball player, a good-natured philanthropist, and the most famous everyman in professional sports.
But the one thing he is not, and should never venture to be, is a reality television star. Of course he would be great at it, and there’s no question that the show would be a ball of success wrapped in appeal and boxed in anticipation.
But for Arenas and the Wizards to become legitimately regarded as an elite basketball team, he can’t fall prey to the trappings of fame. It would lead to animosity against him if the team struggles, and would shed unwanted light on the growing pains of a young team.
Can you imagine Gilbert Arenas having cameras and microphones on him at all times? Sounds like fun when he and Nick Young are waxing stupid on and off the court, but what about in the midst of a tiring three-game losing streak out west? What happens when he takes issue with Eddie Jordan’s decisions, or the sub-par play of a teammate?
Will the destruction be televised? You bet.
And for all of Gil’s charm and appeal, it doesn’t seem that he would be the wiser in situations like that. His commitment to the preservation of his soul is a laudable ambition, but should remain at the level of commercials, sound bytes and blog entries.
All Gil, all-the-time is a recipe for infamous quotes, too-candid reactions, and misplaced frustrations by the organization and disgruntled sportswriters.
And for a team that just might believe it is better off without him, a Gilbert Arenas reality show would be the perfect prescription for a trading-deadline blockbuster. They are counting on him to mature as an defensive leader while maintaining his offensive tenacity – not to solidify a position as the clown prince of the NBA.
Truth is, this town needs Gilbert Arenas. We may think at the outset that we can’t get enough of him, but when you consider the consequences of having too much of him, the most dire of those may ultimately be a Wizards team without him.
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I don’t think they meant every single moment of his life, just the fun times with his teamates that we dont get to see, and if hard and frustrating times would come during the season and some things are said that are supposed to stay in the locker room I am sure they would not allow it to go on national television for all of the media to blow it out of porportion like they do everything else. I think it would be cool to have a Gilbert Arenas reality show and I dont think it would be much of a distraction to the team. Oh and by the way no one on the Wizards has ever said that they believe they are better without Gilbert. Thats just another media thing.
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