Feb 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis presents Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) with his all-star jersey prior to the game against the Orlando Magic at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Wizards Should Retire Arenas’ Iconic Number

On Monday, the new Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class was announced, led by Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming.

The players most of us grew up watching, like Iverson and Shaq for instance, are finally starting to get inducted into the Hall of Fame – meaning, we’re all getting old and will soon be yelling at clouds.

After reading about the new Hall of Fame class, it made me think about the lack of recognizable talent the Washington Wizards have had over the past two decades or so.

The Wizards/Bullets have had Hall of Famers before, but how many of the players that have suited up for the team in recent history will one day become enshrined?

The lack of recognizable talent the team has had made me think of the standout players, and after giving it some considerable thought, Gilbert Arenas is probably the most recognizable name the franchise has had since becoming the “Wizards.”

Plagued with injuries and knucklehead ambitions, Arenas’ success in the nation’s capital was short-lived. He never really reached his full potential, despite being recognized as one of the best guards in the NBA with All-Star recognitions and an All-NBA Second Team honor.

With that said, Arenas single-handedly helped revitalize a discouraged fan base and gave the team a reason to be hopeful.

Averaging close to 30 points for three straight seasons, Arenas became one of the league’s most deadly scorers after signing with the Washington Wizards following a short stint with the Golden State Warriors roughly 13 years ago. Arenas was the face of NBA Live and gained national recognition for his heroic shot making.

His 60 point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers a decade ago was undoubtedly one of the best individual performances in the franchise’s history. Arenas was also one of the main faces of Adidas basketball and Spalding, which helped put the Washington Wizards back on the national map as well.

As great as Agent Zero was (I seriously got goosebumps watching the embedded highlight video), he is not a Hall of Fame player. But, that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get the recognition he deserves for helping the Washington Wizards become relevant.

Washington never won a championship with Arenas, and while we like to use injuries as an excuse, they probably never would have been able to beat the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers.

Regardless, Arenas is arguably the best player the team has had in the team’s recent history and will go down as one of the franchise’s most accomplished guards.

The Wizards should recognize Arenas by retiring his jersey number – one that always reminds us of him when we see another playing rocking “0” on their uniform.

Arenas helped popularize the Washington Wizards and he certainly helped his brand by choosing such a distinct number and making the most out of it.

I don’t condone any of Arenas’ recent behavior and certainly don’t agree with his antics. Arenas always cared about entertaining the fans and staying in the limelight more than basketball, which is a shame when considering how talented he was. He’s flawed – just like all of us – but should see his number hanging from the rafters at the Verizon Center.