Gilbert Arenas was inarguably one of the most influential NBA talents of his generation.
Although being a three-time All-Star, one-time All-NBA Second-Team member and two-time All-NBA Third-Team member is nothing to sneeze at, those accolades don’t fully express how big of a star Arenas was in his prime.
He has a unique perspective on the game that few others can match.
Not long ago, Arenas did an interview during which he discussed a myriad of topics. One particularly interesting one? The offseason fight that occurred between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Specifically, Arenas posited a theory as to why that video was leaked and then went viral. He doesn’t believe it was an accident.
“The Warriors are painting a picture,” Arenas said. "They have to justify why they won’t offer somebody a certain amount of money or a long-term deal. Jordan Poole is the new face coming up. Now, if the Warriors don’t re-sign Draymond, there is footage of why.”
To Arenas’ point, Poole recently got a fresh new contract from the Warriors. Green, meanwhile, is getting $25.8 million this season, has a player option for $27.5 next season and then is set to hit free agency.
To date, Golden State has played coy about re-signing him.
Was the leaking of the fight video some sort of preemptive move by the Warriors to lay the groundwork for Green’s ouster? Maybe. The world will probably never know.
Interestingly enough, Arenas isn’t the first person to note how odd Poole and Green fighting was.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant did the same a while back.
Arenas may be out of the NBA as a player, but his words still carry a lot of weight for fans and players alike.
Will his theory on the Poole-Green fight ultimately alter people’s perceptions of what went down? Time will tell.
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