Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas made an estimated $163.4 million in salary over his 13-year career, but he certainly didn't live like a multimillionaire as a rookie. The three-time All-NBA selection told VLAD TV he spent his entire rookie salary ($845,000) before the draft, leaving him with a $500 weekly budget for the entire 2001-02 season.
To make matters worse, Arenas had to manage that $500 budget in the ultra-expensive Bay Area, as the Golden State Warriors drafted him 31st overall out of Arizona. Arenas said he spent his entire rookie salary – he cites a chain plus a souped-up Escalade with five TVs and a suede roof as his most notable expenses – because he thought he'd be a top-10 draft pick.
Arenas' financial situation became so dire he had to sleep at the Warriors' arena because he couldn't afford the gas to drive back-and-forth, far from the glamorous NBA lifestyle he expected.
"You've been playing and training your whole life to be here, and when you get here it's a rude awakening," Arenas said. "You're not even close to what is expected. You're not good enough. You're on a two-year deal, I have no money. It wasn't fun. I even said then, 'I wish I could come back to college. I took a pay cut coming here.'"
While Arenas struggled through his first 30 games and became "depressed," he finished the season strong thanks in part to his overnight stays at the arena. Arenas – who averaged 10.9 points, 1.5 steals and 3.7 assists as a rookie — said the extra time at the gym helped him become a "professional."
"The beginning of the season, I wasn't good enough to be put on that floor," Arenas said. "So, that anger and drive and just sitting in the gym for hours and hours and watching film is what got me going."
Arenas eventually made over $160 million as an NBA player, making Agent Zero more like Agent Zeroes.