“I don’t play poker with the players” – Gilbert Arenas once revealed that he did not gamble against others while speaking on gun charges

Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas once said he did not participate in gambling while addressing his gun charges in 2009. On Wednesday, Arenas was arrested along with five others after being accused of illegally hosting high-stakes poker games.

The former NBA star pleaded not guilty and was released on a $50,000 bond, and his trial is scheduled for September 23. As per federal prosecutors, Arenas allegedly ran an illegal gambling ring from September 2021 to July 2022.

While fans on social media expressed concern, Arenas made a lighthearted post on Instagram following his release.

“I'm Back on the Block like it's HOT 🗣️This ain't got shyt to do with me " just rented the house" Wasn't a part of the Festivities 🤷🏾‍♂️😂,” he wrote.

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This isn’t his first time Arenas has faced legal problems, as in 2009, he pulled a gun on his Wizards teammate, Javaris Crittenton, after a locker room card game went wrong.

Speaking to reporters back then, Arenas said:

“I play Poker on my phone or computer, just playing against the CPU. I don't gamble, I don't play poker with the players. We got bad poker players," he said.

Arenas might not have been a big poker fan, but the card game had severe consequences. Following the incident, Arenas was suspended for 50 games by the NBA and played only a further 66 games in the league, with his last game in 2012. He made 552 career appearances, averaging 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.

Gilbert Arenas’ former teammate jokes about taking over his podcast following gambling arrest

Gilbert Arenas’ former teammate and one-time NBA Champion Nick Young made light of Arenas’ recent arrest. He addressed the situation in a video posted to social media and joked about taking over Arenas’ podcast.

“My brother is an idiot y'all, we gonna change the show from Gil's Arena to Swaggy's Arena,” Young joked. “Whatever they say he did, he did it.”

Nick Young was also part of the Washington Wizards’ roster at the time of Gilbert Arenas’ infamous gun incident. The former NBA guard is also a regular on his podcast, “Gil’s Arena.”

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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