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Arenas on His Own Path to GreatnessCopyright © 2007-2009 Patrick Hickey Jr.When someone thinks about elite players in the NBA, guys like Carmelo Anthony, Dewayne Wade and Lebron James immediate come to mind, while an individual such as Gilbert Arenas, who has similar numbers Anthony, Wade and James is totally left out of the mainstream limelight. Maybe it's because Arenas is a far cry from the Boy Scout image that those players represent and is more of a truth teller, saying whatever's on his mind at the time. Maybe it's because he screams things like "hibachi" after sinking three pointers and has defined an almost oddball role for himself among the rest of the NBA. Either way, he's a charismatic enigma on the court that deserves respect. His teammates understand that better than anyone else. "We call it swag," teammate Antawn Jamison told the Associated Press. "Gil has a great amount of swag out there. The guy's been playing like this all year. Of late, the last month or so, it's been unbelievable," Jamison said. "I've never been a part of a team where a guy's been performing the way he's been performing." Perhaps the difference between Arenas and other players like Anthony and Wade is that Arenas is just as blue-collar a guy as the fans that cheer him on. Raised by a single father after his mother gave him up when he was four, Arenas has worked extremely hard to accomplish his dreams. Loved and admired by the tough Washington fan base because of a tireless work ethic and desire to become a better player, Arenas is the true embodiment of perseverance and dedication. "Whatever happens in your past, you get second chances," Arenas told the Washington Post. "Basketball is where I put all my pain and let it go. The court became my sanctuary, my outlet. Most males, we don't have outlets. A lot of females don't realize we can't go and tell our friends our problems. We don't talk about that. That's why a lot of men have stress. Some golf, some do strip clubs or whatever. Mine was going on the basketball floor." Using this rough and tumble attitude in all walks of life, Arenas is a perfect fit for the tough, no nonsense environment in Washington and is the main reason why the team has made such a huge turnaround the past few seasons. The fans in Washington know better than anyone else that Arenas is never going to be in a McDonalds commercial or find himself in a major motion picture alongside Looney Tunes characters like the other greats in the sport, but that doesn't mean he can't have a huge impact on the sport and the way people think about their favorite players. "I was taught that you find out who players are just like how you find out about dogs," Arenas said in Esquire Magazine. "If you have a litter of dogs and you put them in the dark, put them in a corner, and you shake your keys, whatever dogs come to those keys, them's the ones you want. They're curious. They want to know what's going on. They're ready. They're fighting. The ones who sit in the corner, they're afraid. They don't have the heart. That's how I look at people." It may not be the most eloquent or articulate way to dissect your competition on the court, but it works for Arenas and the Wizards, who are currently in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 20-14 record. Considering that, it seems the screams of hibachi and references to players as K-9's are bound to continue. About The Author:
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