There’s a new Agent Zero in Washington, and Gilbert Arenas approves. For much of eight seasons, Arenas captivated Washington Wizards fans wearing the No. 0 jersey. Despite the strong connection, Arenas is okay with passing the torch to incoming rookie Bilal Coulibaly.
Arenas recently acknowledged that Coulibaly contacted him about the number on his show “No Chil with Gilbert Arenas.”
“[I] told him, do his thing, young fella. Do your thang, bring back the positivity to it,” Arenas said.
Coulibaly, the Wizards’ first-round draft pick this year, will don the No. 0. He’ll be the first player since Arenas to wear the number for the Wizards. It’s a bold move considering how loved Arenas is by fans in Washington.
Russell Westbrook didn’t even dare when he spent the 2020-21 season with the Wizards. Westbrook changed his number from his famed 0 to 4 in Washington. Westbrook is a future Hall-of-Fame candidate and the king of the triple-double. Still, he passed on the opportunity despite Arenas’ blessing.
Coulibaly is ready for the chance to wear the No. 0. He said he knew Arenas was the last to wear it in Washington because he plays a lot of the NBA2k video series.
Arenas made three All-Star Games in the Wizards’ number 0. He also was named to two All-NBA Third-teams and one All-NBA Second Team. However, his run with the Wizards ended on a sour note. A knee injury and his infamous locker room gun incident with teammate Javaris Crittenton led to an ugly end with the Wizards.
Gilbert Arenas averaged 25 points in 357 games with the Wizards. Yet, he believes if Coulibaly thrives and becomes an All-Star and All-NBA player, the jersey number will be his. Arenas doesn’t think he didn’t do enough for his jersey to be retired. Thus, the number can belong to Coulibaly.
The 18-year-old Bilal Coulibaly will get his first dose of the NBA during the Las Vegas Summer League. His first game is Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, the team in which the Wizards acquired his draft rights. Hopefully, he’ll provide a glimpse of things to come.
