Gilbert Arenas explained his beef with Kwame Brown: 'The problem is not the skill. The problem is he didn't wanna do nothing'

Gilbert Arenas and Kwame Brown have had a bitter, long-standing feud over the years, and it's not about to simmer down anytime soon. On a recent episode of Gil's Arena, the three-time All-Star digs deep and gets real about what started the beef against the 2001 first-overall pick.

"If you think you are "it," or if you think you know it, you're not accepting anything. You're not accepting knowledge because you think you know it. That's the problem," Agent Zero explains.

"His problem wasn't he didn't have skill. The problem is, he didn't wanna do nothing. It came to the point where it's like, I'm afraid to try and fail," added Arenas.

While the panel agreed that a considerable percentage of young NBA studs are headstrong and stubborn, most of them still do work behind closed doors. "Hibachi" suggested Brown was not interested in doing any of that. Only Kwame knows what went wrong, but it may have something to do with the B-word getting thrown around a bit much.

"A triggering word"

Rashad McCants knows a thing or two about the burden of expectations. The former UNC Tar Heel was not viewed as a franchise savior of some sort, getting drafted 14th overall in 2005. But as a national champion, eyes were on him to see if he could be a star in the next level.

"Let me translate that to the whole word "bust," McCants interjected. "It's a very triggering word to those who didn't reach the expectations that were put out for them. Some people don't understand that dynamic when you have an expectation, and they fall short. What trauma that does to anyone who thinks it's a joke; it's traumatizing! I know about being called a bust."

The former Minnesota Timberwolves guard is trying to shed light on what might have been going through Kwame's mind. After being labeled a bust for so long, he could have felt scared and traumatized, leading him to act indifferent as a way to protect himself. Not everyone copes the same way, and Brown may have retreated into his shell as a response to how things unfolded.

The 6'11 big man was only 22 when he played with "Hibachi" in 2004 at DC. He went straight to the pros after a stellar high school stint at Glynn Academy. On the other hand, as crazy as Arenas could be, he played under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. The guy received a high level of coaching in college, something that Kwame didn't have access to.

Gil and Kwame went at it

No one knows for sure what went wrong, but the Gil-Kwame squabble has been going on since their playing days. Brown revealed Arenas went behind his back and told the Wizards brass not to start and play him at some point. This led to a wild threat by Kwame and his eventual suspension from an entire playoff series.

The bickering went back and forth over the years with no light at the end of the tunnel. Brown once lamented 'why a gun-toting dumb SOB' has a platform to push narratives, while Gil claimed Kwame tried to fight Michael Jordan at a bar but backtracked as soon as MJ mentioned Charles Oakley's name.

The animosity between them shows no signs of fading, though it wouldn't hurt to let bygones be bygones for a change. Still, fans shouldn't hold their breath for a truce anytime soon.