Gilbert's Back!!!

Gilbert “Agent Zero” Arenas may have opted out of his contract to hold out for a better signing deal with the Washington Wizards in the hopes that they would also resign fellow teammate Antawn Jamison, but it was all smiles and applause Tuesday afternoon in the Acela Club at the Verizon Center as Arenas held a press conference to discuss his new contract with the Wizards at $111 million for six years.

“This is a very big day for the Wizards. Two weeks ago we were here for Antawn [Jamison] and now we’re here for our other fantastic star,” said Wizards’ owner Abe Pollin of Arenas’ big day. “He is a true, true, fantastic basketball player,” Pollin added, “and unfortunately he’s had some health problems and now it’s going to be ok. I said, Gilbert, you are never, ever going to wear a jersey other than the Wizards. NEVER.”

Taking a risk and making the free agency voyage without an agent, Arenas was initially offered $127 million over a 6 year period, which is the maximum that an NBA player can get over that period of time. After mulling over the offer for a few weeks, Arenas finally accepted, now entering into his sixth season with the Wizards at the time of the signing and even more shockingly, gave $16 million back to the organization for future recruiting purposes.

When asked why he chose to represent himself, Arenas responded it was to take out the third party of it all. “To take trauma out of it,” he further responded, ‘You see with the Clippers and Elton Brand.” (Brand currently has left the Clippers and has upset former coaches who blame the move all on his agent).

The pressure is now put on Arenas to lead this Wizards team past the first round, past the Cleveland Cavaliers in which they have lost the past playoff seasons to the Cavs, and even further into the spectrum: to an NBA title. Washington has not won a National Championship since 1978 when the organization was still the Bullets.