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Gilbert Arenas says he paved way for Russell Westbrook, James Harden’s playing style

Gilbert Arenas

Retired NBA star Gilbert Arenas can no longer step foot on an NBA basketball court but that doesn’t mean he’s not keeping himself busy.

Arenas, when you can find him is usually talking about how the game of basketball works, or is cracking some savage jokes about people most wouldn’t dare to do in public.

He is currently the host of Complex Sports’ show “Out of Bounds” where he discusses various topics around sports, mainly the NBA.

During his career, Arenas averaged 20.7 points, 5.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game before some of the rule changes came into place that exists today, mainly the emphasis of the three-point shot.

There are quite a few things the three-time All-Star knows about high scoring guards, and he joined Reddit for an AMA to answer a few questions, one which addressed today’s stars, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Former teammates who became MVP candidates on their own teams, both are experiencing their own level of success in today’s NBA,  but Arenas claims he was the first player to play the way they are now. Not only was the cooking reference in play during his time, but he didn’t use a hand gesture, instead he would yell ‘Hibachi’ when scoring, referencing a cooking grill.

The 6’4 guard didn’t share the same athleticism as Harden and Westbrook, but he was a shooter and a scorer, even once dropping 60 points on Kobe Bryant at Staples Center.

 I was ahead of the game on style. If you look at James Harden’s style, that was my style back then. I was a 3-point shooter and a free throw getter. That’s why me, Harden and Russell Westbrook are the only players who have made 200 3s and 600 FTs in a season. I’m the one who created that stat line.

Twice Arenas attempted over 500 three-pointers in a season, but he successfully made over 200 in the 06-07 season where he shot and made 205 of 584 free throws and 606 of 718 free throws, where he averaged 28 points per game and before this faster-paced NBA existed.

What it really means is Arenas got buckets and he feels he was ahead of his time, even with a shortened career.

The post Gilbert Arenas says he paved way for Russell Westbrook, James Harden’s playing style appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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