Who is Gilbert Arenas? Former NBA guard with unserious persona now in serious scenario

Who uses being arrested on federal charges as a moment for comic relief? Gilbert Arenas.

And whether it was ill-timed or timed on purpose, the public had something to talk about.

The former NBA All-Star was among six people arrested Wednesday and charged with running an illegal gambling business from an Encino, Calif., home that Arenas owns. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. He pleaded not guilty and was released Wednesday on $50,000 bond.

Following his release, Arenas posted a social media video of himself trotting down a set of stairs saying, “They can’t hold me.” He also said in a post he only rented out the house and was not involved in any of the activity.

Arenas was one of the best scorers in the NBA at his peak before he was slowed by knee injuries. During the 2000s, he was a big kid in the NBA who collected autographed jerseys, a fan of the game who couldn’t believe he was on the same court as the likes of Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

But he was also known for his mischievous nature with teammates. That mischief led to Arenas’ original instance of being hit with charges — when his back and forth with Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton led to big trouble at the end of 2009. Arenas drew discipline from the NBA and the federal government after bringing guns to the Wizards’ locker room following a disagreement with Crittenton.

Arenas in 2010 pleaded guilty to felony gun possession, served two days in jail, spent time in a halfway house and was sentenced to two years of probation. The NBA suspended Arenas for 50 games.

In the Netflix documentary “Untold: Shooting Guards,” which was released in May, Arenas said he felt he had to fight the media with humor after the gun incident, which included him pretending to shoot his teammates before a game. Crittenton said in the film he knew Arenas’ jokes would affect him. Arenas admitted the length of the suspensions was due partly to his behavior and deserved, but also added that Crittenton did not deserve the same punishment.

The charges this time against Arenas are serious once again. Arenas is accused of working with Yevgeni Gershman, who the government claimed to be a member of an Israeli organized crime group, as part of illegal poker games. That association would appear to be more dangerous, not funny. Arenas is also accused of lying to investigators while trying to recover money seized by Homeland Security by saying he wasn’t a part of the illegal gambling.

He faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted on all charges.

Arenas’ nature is to turn every serious moment into something funny. And following his latest run-in with the law, Arenas turned being released from custody into something that has drawn more than 3 million views on X and more than 145,000 views on Instagram.

Some might ask why Arenas is like this. It’s really his personality. He grew up around Hollywood because his father was an actor and a bodyguard. He watched actors study roles and was a fan of sketch comedy shows like “In Living Color.”

Arenas’ sense of humor, perhaps an acquired taste, was displayed before he was drafted. He told an NBA executive in jest he wanted to be “an international pimp” before the 2001 NBA Draft. He was considered by some to be a first-round talent, but he fell to the second round, the 31st pick, to the Golden State Warriors.

I got to know who Arenas is in previous weeks before his arrest. I was working on a story about the 43-year-old’s increasing presence as a media representative. His “Gil’s Arena” podcast streams live on YouTube four times a week, and its popularity continues to grow largely because of Arenas’ knack for finding moments that grab attention. The immature moments are actually crafted by hours of research and understanding how to make his co-hosts and staff feel good. The show’s YouTube channel has acquired more than 1.1 million subscribers thus far.

Arenas said most won’t see his mature side — which shows how he prepared to play in the NBA or the countless hours he puts into his podcast and creating content. The latest exit from custody is consistent with Arenas keeping the same unserious persona in the face of serious circumstances. After all, his social media handle is “NoChillGil.” He’s clearly not going to suddenly become meek and silent in the face of adversity.

In working on the original story, I asked Arenas about him maturing. He’d been introspective in “Untold: Shooting Guards.” He talked about not going out after 10 p.m. because it leads to trouble. And there was no way someone who lacked maturity could juggle a show with strong personalities like former NBA players Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants and Brandon Jennings as panelists.

Being serious, however, is a matter of perspective, Arenas said.

“If you ask somebody what immature really means, it’s, ‘This person don’t take serious stuff seriously,’ right?” Arenas said. “You only want somebody to be mature when there’s something happening, and you want them to take it serious, right? That’s the idea of being mature or immature, right? It’s the personality during a certain time and during serious moments, I don’t consider them serious. So … I’m just gonna keep the same energy.”

It’s worked in Arenas’ career as a content creator. Many who work with Arenas cite his creative mind in allowing him to connect with a younger audience. He has consumers in their early 20s who aren’t old enough to remember his on-court brilliance.

Arenas also sees an opportunity in every situation, especially if it means a laugh and content creation, which he said makes him different from former athletes who have entered media. He adapts for whatever is needed in the moment.

“I’m a streamer first, then I’m a YouTuber, very different,” Arenas said. “I can jump on any platform, and I can survive because I’m a creator first. I create content, you react to the content, very different than where you’re reacting to certain things that’s going on. I can take anything.”

That apparently includes his legal troubles. And while the general public might not understand his antics, particularly after charges so severe, Arenas is serious about creating content — even it seems sensible to lay low.

Arenas, however, does things his way. He declared he was “fresh out and back on the sticks” on his Instagram story Thursday with a link to his live stream playing the latest EA Sports College Football video game. The charges are serious, but like he did 15 years ago, Arenas is choosing to combat the scrutiny in his own way.

Most wouldn’t consider it the mature approach, but it’s what Arenas knows to do.

“I’m like the streamers now,” Arenas said. “I’m that guy where you give me an idea, I can take off within that.”

(Photo: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)