Memphis Grizzlies, Lionel Hollins Get Eye Opening Comment From NBA Vet

Gilbert Arenas hasn’t played in the NBA in seven years. But he’s living his best life in Ice Cube’s Big 3 Basketball league.

While in the NBA, Arenas was a terror on the basketball court.

Agent Zero spent most of his career with the Washington Wizards where the three-time NBA All-Star averaged 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists during his carer.

After his time with the Wizards, Arenas signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012.

Agent Zero backed up Mike Conley Jr. and the Grizzlies finished 41-25 that year and was a Western Conference fourth seed that would eventually lose to the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA Playoffs.

In a phone interview with Dallas Mavericks writer, Landon Buford, Arenas recounted playing in Lionel Hollins’ system in Memphis. “I was in Memphis and had to make the decision to remove myself,” Arenas told Buford.

“To allow Jeremy Pargo and Josh Selby the opportunity to showcase their talent in games like they were doing in practice and I was brought in for the playoffs. Lionel Hollins didn’t believe in young talent at the time.”

Gilbert Arenas has been vocal over the last couple of weeks.

made headlines when he discussed the career of Vince Carter.

“Vince should be on the bench as a coach or in the office giving his input,” said Arenas.

“That’s a roster spot. You have kids who are 27 in (the BIG3) that should be in the NBA. Why are they not in the NBA? It’s not that I don’t like that he’s playing, it’s just that I had to fight from the beginning. You see a guy who is over the hill already and think, ‘I’m better than you.’ But the coach isn’t going to put me in, and you have no reason to still be playing. You’re not playing for anything, but in his mind, he’s playing for the title of most seasons played.”

That statement turned heads for sure. Various headlines this week stated that Arenas suggested Carter should play the role of a player-coach rather than taking up a roster spot.

That wasn’t the case according to Arenas.

“I just thought that he was just coming back for a whole another year for no apparent reason,” Arenas told Landon Buford.

Arenas added more depth in his statements on Vince Carter and according to Arenas, it ties into a conversation that he and Miami Heat legend, Dwyane Wade had.

“It was one of those things where I saw Dwyane Wade. He and I talked,” Arenas told Landon Buford.

“He shared with me that he had ‘a couple more years, but I want to give another person a chance. As long as I am there, they are going to just play me and it will take away from the young kids’ development.’ That is the conversation Dwyane Wade and I was having because I told him he’s got one more year in you. He was like: ‘man, at the end of the day I could possibly do this. But I am looking at Vince’s side. It is not like you are going to compete for a championship.”

An eight time NBA All Star, Vince Carter will play his last year in an Atlanta Hawks uniform alongside Trae Young, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish.