Covenant Soccer Comes to an End

On one Saturday, two hours away from one another, two Covenant soccer seasons came to a close. The Covenant Women's Soccer team ended their season with a 5-0 loss to Maryville. And several minutes later, the Covenant Men's Soccer team lost 4-2 to North Carolina Wesleyan in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Both Scots teams put up great seasons, with the women's team going 10-6-3 overall and 6-1-1 in conference, with their only conference loss being to the eventual Conference Champion Maryville Scots. The men’s team put together a historic season, finishing with an 18-2-2 record overall and 13-0 in conference, a school best. 

The Lady Scots had eight players contribute to their goal scoring this season, led by an exceptional 10 goals from USA South First Team All-Conference recipient Kailey Burrell ’22, with Kyra Duble ’21 adding another 9 goals. Addy Cronan ’20 led the team when it came to setting up goals, notching 5 assists on the season, with Kyra Duble and Lizzy Hightower ’20 right behind her with 4 assists each. Burrell and Duble recorded nearly half of the teams total points, Burrell with 23 and Duble with 22. 

Freshman Lucy Sandhoff held it down in goal this season, starting each one of the Lady Scots’ 18 games, and recording 90 saves over the course of the season. 13 of these saves came in an exceptional performance against Greensboro in the Conference Semifinals, including two outstanding saves in the penalty shootout that eventually gave Covenant the win.

With the end of another season, the team will say goodbye to five seniors—Riley Battenfield, Addy Cronan, Abby Gienapp, Lizzy Hightower, and Anna Robertson, who said of the season, “From the outside looking in, it may not seem like we finished the season the way we wanted. However, we know that we fought fiercely with such resilience through persistent injuries and setbacks. Making it to the finals was well deserved for this team.” The team will return some exceptional young players and the future looks promising for the Lady Scots. 

Just like the women’s team, the men’s season came to a close in the Conference Championship. The season ended in a penalty shootout that saw North Carolina Wesleyan come out on top. The Scots, however, put together an exceptional season. They finished the regular season with an undefeated conference record, making them regular season conference champions. Twelve Scots contributed to the goal scoring this season, led by 14 goals from Mercer Stout ’22 and 12 goals from Josh Brower ’20. Brower also chipped in on the assisting, dishing out 13 through the season, with Jesse Riggs ’20 coming up behind him with 8 assists. Brower finished the season with an outstanding 37 points, and Stout with another 31. 

Paul Lemay ’20 spent his final season in goal, and made it one to remember. He played in and started 17 of Covenant’s games, allowing only 10 goals and making 58 saves. These stats were good enough to earn Lemay USA South Goalkeeper of the Year, an impressive achievement. He is joined in the top four USA South honors by Coach Scott Bosgraf, who, in his third year as head coach for Covenant, received USA South Coach of the Year. Six players earned USA South All-Conference First Team—Stout, Brower, Riggs, Lemay, Noah Lee ’21, and Jay Patterson ’23. 

Now that the season has reached a close, the team will say goodbye to nine seniors—Brower, Lemay, Riggs, Anthony Buzzeo, Connor McGimsey, Matt Morefield, Colby Pepper, Seth Robinson, and Blake Thomas. While this group will be missed, the Scots keep a number of young and talented players, such as Austin Berry ’22, who said of the team this season, “Everyone stepped into their role well and did what they needed to do no matter how big or small their role was.” 

This goes to show how well a season can come together when each player buys into their role and plays under the system of a great coach. Congratulations on awesome seasons to both of the Scots Soccer teams. We look forward to what you have in store for next season!

An Inside Look at the Covenant College Men’s Soccer Team

This season, and the journey along the way, has been super exciting. We have battled through big players getting injured at crucial times in our season, close games, early season struggles, long road trips, rain delays, etc. Every season has those ups and downs, but that’s what makes it fun.

As I reflect on our season, here is a list of the huge moments that stand out to me: Josh Brower’s game tying goal late in the Greensboro game, which led us to winning the Regular Season Title in OT (if y’all don’t know, Josh is a freak athlete); watching my boy Jack Allen getting his first goal on Scotland Yard; Anthony Calbo doing his thing and dancing in front of the fans at Scotland Yard after scoring a great header; the continual PK battle between Paul Lemay and Jesse Riggs at practice; the bench team dancing along with the best fans in the world on our home turf; Chef Lee finally getting USA South Awards for his masterful defending; the Dairy Queen run after winning the Regular Season Title; Jesse’s PK against Maryville; our service project, which put the motto “Not For Self” into action; Coach Bosgraf singing Party in the USA (he has the best voice on campus); Coach Van Holland and Amanda Van Holland expecting a child; and finally, finishing with a 13-0 record, the best conference record in Covenant College Men’s Soccer history. 

This is the most fun team I have been a part of. As a senior, I am very thankful for all the coaches, players, and fans who have made my soccer experience at Covenant College unbelievable. The season did not end like we imagined. We lost in the Conference Final to North Carolina Wesleyan in penalty kicks. But playing soccer at Covenant College has given me amazing life long friends. Shout out to my fellow seniors, I love y'all. Go Scots! Not For Self!

Defense Wins Championships

First, the Tennessee Vols bandwagon is wide open, and coming from someone who has been a Tennessee fan from the time that he was in the womb, jump on. If not, we will see you in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 

Next, the Philadelphia 76ers will win the 2020 NBA Finals and I will tell you why. Why? Defense. Over the crazy NBA offseason, the Sixers somehow procured the greatest defense to ever grace an NBA court. General manager Elton Brand received Josh Richardson out of a sign and trade deal with the Miami Heat for a player who hasn’t even made an appearance this NBA season (as of October 28th). I hope your baby is doing very well, Jimmy Butler. Then the Sixers front office made the biggest splash this offseason by signing Veteran big-man Al Horford. This is adding to the already astonishing lineup of Tobias Harris (the most underrated player in the NBA), Joel Embiid (best center in the NBA, you're a joke, Jokic), and of course Ben Simmons (2018 Rookie of the Year, the next Magic Johnson, and nicknamed “I’ll shoot a three-pointer if you can ever stop me from scoring 25 a night on 85% FG shooting in the paint”). All of this, plus the fact that the 76ers drafted Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and 2 time Pac-12 Defensive player of the year, Matisse Thybulle. 

So, with a starting 5 of Simmons, Richardson, Harris, Horford, and Embiid, Thybulle coming off the bench, and Mr. Mike “Gets into fights at Eagles games and has neck tattoos” Scott, the Philadelphia 76ers are scary to say the least. Let’s jump into the numbers just to prove all of you poor little Philly doubters wrong. 

Start with the future Co-MVP Ben Simmons. Standing at a stout 6’10” and 230 lbs, this man can guard literally any position. He has been known to intimidate anyone on the court and lockdown superstars such as Lebron James. Last season, he had 112 steals, 61 blocks, and 525 defensive rebounds. Please keep in mind that this man is only 23. Next, Josh Richardson has been coming into form and has been said to be an up-and-coming defensive superstar. He had 79 steals (down from the previous year, in which he had 121) and 34 blocks (also down from the previous year, in which he had 75). While not impressive, he has much potential to be tapped into by the wonderful player development staff of the Sixers. Tobias Harris, who has finally come into his own and is morphing into an NBA superstar in front of our very eyes, can also hold his own on the defensive side of the ball. Though what is more important here is the two big men for the 76ers. Al Horford, also known as the only stitching that held the “team” of the Boston Celtics together, is a perfect match for future Co-MVP and DPOY Joel Embiid. Al Horford is the definition of hustle and ensures that not many people will be scoring in the paint this season against the Sixers. 

To be fair, making it to the Finals should not be hard. Who is going to stand in the way? The Celtics? Maybe when you have a starting center that doesn't get concussions from walking into the ceiling. The Bucks? I mean yeah, maybe. But I would like to see Mr. Antetokounmpo score consistently in the paint on this defense. Honestly, I can’t even name any more teams in the East. So, for all you doubters out there, Sixers in 6 over the Clippers in June. Please prove me wrong.

Cris Collinsworth

The NFL season is in full swing, with each weekend bringing a new slate of exciting games and a new Sunday night game to be called by the golden voice of Cris Collinsworth. Each week, alongside Al Michaels’ play-by-play calls, Collinsworth provides witty and insightful color commentary, remaining a constant through both good and bad Sunday Night Football games. But how did he get here? Collinsworth is known for his Joe Buck-esque good looks and silky smooth voice, but all of this did not just come out of nothing—there’s more to Cris Collinsworth than meets the eye. 

While NBC, the home of Sunday Night Football, does an excellent job of making Michaels and Collinsworth look similar in height, this is not so. The 6-foot-5-inch Collinsworth is a whopping 7 inches taller than Michaels. And this height came to good use during Cris’ football career. Due to his height and speed, Collinsworth was a highly sought after college prospect, eventually joining the University of Florida Gators in 1977. Collinsworth was recruited as a quarterback, throwing a 99-yard touchdown pass in his first game of the season, tied for the longest touchdown pass in NCAA history. The following season, Collinsworth was converted to a wide receiver, fully embracing this role and going on to be named First-Team All-SEC in his remaining three seasons and First-Team All-American in his senior season. In his senior season he was part of one of the greatest one-year turnarounds in college football history, going from 0-10-1 to 8-4 in the span of one year. He has gone down in history as one of the Gator greats in football. 

After a successful college career, Collinsworth was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1981 NFL Draft, and would play out his entire 8-season career there. He surpassed 1,000 receiving yards four times in his career, in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1986, as well as being named to the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. 

After retiring from the NFL, Collinsworth immediately got into broadcasting. He has done work for several networks throughout his career, but is, of course, best known for his coverage of Sunday Night Football. Collinsworth filled the role of color commentator alongside Michaels upon John Madden’s departure in 2009. 

Collinsworth has collected five Emmys over the course of his successful broadcasting career. And beyond broadcasting, Collinsworth has earned a Juris Doctorate, in pursuit of his original post-NFL dream of being a lawyer. Collinsworth has accomplished a lot in his 60 years of life. So next time you’re watching Sunday Night Football, don’t forget the man behind the great face and better voice that is Cris Collinsworth.  

The Good, The Bad and The Petty

This NBA season has all the ingredients to be spectacular, coming off an offseason of ridiculous player movement that saw a multitude of superstars jumping ship and moving to other teams. Anthony Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clippers, and most importantly Jerami Grant was traded to the Denver Nuggets. Anyway, let’s jump into it. I’m going to tell you some good, bad, and petty things to look out for this coming NBA season.

Good

This season has an incredible class of rookies. Zion Williamson, Michael Porter Jr., Ja Morant, and of course 7 foot 2 inch phenom Bol Bol. While there may be a lot of hoop-lah and jibber jabber about Zion being the next LeBron or Michael Porter Jr. being the next Kevin Durant, we all know Bol Bol is going to be the best player in the class. He can shoot the three, protect the rim—because he’s 7’2”—and drive to the hole. He’s had his problems with injuries, as most goliaths do, but if he can stay healthy, then he has the potential to be special. I am very interested to see how the Nuggets use him with Nikola Jokic. He can compliment Jokic by protecting the rim, and since he can shoot the three, he can help spread the floor in the Nuggets offense. 

Bad

If you watch a single Hornets game this year, you must be crazy. Their big offseason move was signing Terry Rozier. The former Celtics point guard had a good post-season two years ago, but was absolutely terrible last year. Michael Jordan and the Hornets are hoping that Rozier can recapture that 2017-18 form that led him to play a prominent role in a Kyrie-less Celtics offense. However, this is very unlikely. They are banking on his struggles last season being based on the chemistry issues that the Celtics had—shout out Kyrie. But I doubt it. Rozier is a shoot first point guard who only becomes efficient after 30 shots. Think about Rozier as a Walmart-brand Allen Iverson, who is terrible at everything AI did and has a thousand percent less swagger. Hey, at least the Hornets have Miles Bridges.

Petty

With every “Petty” section, the crowned prince of pettiness, Joel Embiid, is usually involved. However, he was quiet this offseason. I’m sure most 76ers fans are hoping he was in the gym all offseason, as his fitness was really what kept them from winning a title last year, but I digress. Kevin Durant, aka snake, aka King Slither, aka the Slim Reaper, was really active on Twitter all offseason. He signed with the Brooklyn Nets instead of the New York Knicks, which was a surprise to everyone, and the consistently tortured Knicks fans took exception to his decision. KD, who is never shy to fire off some ridiculous tweets, shot right back at them. He spent an entire week just demolishing angry Knicks fans on Twitter.

A Tough Week for Georgia Sports

Georgia sports fans, I’m sorry—it’s been a tough week for all of you. And I know, you may be used to this sort of disappointment by now, but I’m sure it still stings a bit. The Braves were so close, and then all of a sudden so far. Dawgs, I may just be a casual fan of the game, but those two guys probably didn’t need to go in motion there. And Falcons, poor Matt Bryant—feel better soon. And make sure you don’t forget about Georgia Tech getting buried by Duke or the Atlanta Hawks starting the preseason off 0-2.

It’s got to be tough—a real one-two punch, with a couple more punches afterwards. The Braves were looking good. After dropping game one to the Cardinals, they followed that up with 2 wins in the best of 5 series, outscoring them 10 runs to 6 overall. They’ve had some fun young players on the team this year who were a joy to watch; Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Dansby Swanson. But then game 4 came around and they couldn’t quite hold on. Then game 5 came down the shoot. And oh boy. My St. Louis Cardinals came ready to play, clearly the only of the two teams that did. They came into Atlanta and opened the game with a 10 run first inning—unwatchable for many Braves fans, I’m sure. The Braves did get one run though, ending the game 13-1, as well as ending their season and driving catcher Brian McCann straight into retirement. 

But that was only the beginning. The Georgia Bulldogs geared up Saturday morning for what I’m sure they considered a pretty straight forward win. They came into the game against South Carolina, an often well-fought battle, as considerable favorites. But then South Carolina hung around. This was not unexpected through the first couple quarters, with a big Georgia sequence surely right around the corner. But South Carolina kept the lead, only until Georgia, at the end of a seemingly effortless drive, got a touchdown late in the 4th quarter to tie things up and send it into overtime. And that's when it got rough. South Carolina started OT off strong with an interception off Jake Fromm, his fourth turnover of the day. But the football gods smiled upon Georgia and pulled South Carolina’s game winning field goal wide. And they continued to smile, with Georgia holding South Carolina to a field goal to start 2OT. But then they stopped smiling. And Georgia began their possession with a run for no gain and two incomplete passes before Rodrigo Blankenship missed the game tying 42 yard field goal. A slow burning heartbreaker for what could have been a playoff contending Georgia football team. 

But that’s all, right? Georgia sports fans have to catch a break, right? Wrong. In a thrilling week 6 matchup between the one win Atlanta Falcons and the one tie and one win Arizona Cardinals, with the Falcons being slight favorites, more drama unfolded. Shortly after halftime, the Cardinals had jumped up to a 17 point lead, but they could do little to hang on to it. A field goal and two Matt Ryan touchdowns quickly tied the game back up. But Kyler Murray, doing as he does, led his team down and took a one touchdown lead with under 6 minutes remaining. However, we all knew Matty Ice could not be stopped. Finishing off a 7 play, 75 yard drive with a touchdown—OT in their sights. But not if Pro Bowl kicker, Matt “Money Matt” Bryant had anything to say about it. Up to this point, Money Matt was 569-576 for extra points. And it is so unfortunate that he chose to tack another miss on at this time. Money Matt shanked the kick just wide, ultimately losing the game for his team. A heartbreaking individual error in a team sport. 

To add further insult to injury, Georgia Tech was downed by Duke in quite a blowout. And a young and talented Atlanta Hawks team has yet to find their rhythm. This will hopefully change in due time though. It was a tough week for all those Georgia sports teams, but it just may turn around. Except for the Braves, their season is very much over. And the Falcons, not a lot to do after starting the season off 1-5. But maybe Georgia? We’ll see—losses to unranked opponents do not look too good on a record come playoff selection time. But maybe it will all turn around! Here’s to a better next week all you Georgia sports fans. 

LaMelo Ball

The NBA off-season is drawing to a close, with the opening games of the coming season fast approaching. We’ve moved beyond the 2019 Draft and Summer League, and now have only the regular season to look forward to, which is certainly something to be excited about. The season will finally answer the questions NBA fans everywhere have been asking. Just how far will Zion go? How long until Cam Reddish inevitably emerges as a top player in the league? Was another scoring point guard exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to support Kevin Love and bring him his second ring? But beyond the regular season, and into next summer, the 2020 draft rumors have already begun to swirl about, and one name keeps popping up: LaMelo Ball.

The Ball brothers, Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo, burst onto the scene a few years back due to their high-flying, long range dominance at Chino Hills High School and their big-talking dad, Lavar. Lavar built up an outrageous amount of hype around his boys, leading to interviews and a now failing shoe company. But the hype would not have lasted unless his kids were actually good, and they were. 

Lonzo went on to UCLA and then the NBA, being drafted 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers and recently being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. LiAngelo, potentially the best of the three, still has not quite panned out, but I’m confident it will come. And when it does, he’ll come flying into the league with his knockdown corner 3’s. But more recently, one Ball brother has been the focus of much of the hype: the youngest brother, LaMelo. 

LaMelo has been followed much of his serious basketball career, from his younger years of high school up until now, as he has moved schools, gone overseas, inquired into different leagues, and now plays for the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League in Australia. And this season could perhaps be the most important one thus far. LaMelo has recently been generating a lot of buzz as he will most likely enter the NBA Draft come next summer, and where he goes is truly a mystery. 

His upside is enormous—a lanky 6 foot 6 inch point guard with silky smooth control of the ball, who can throw a full court pass and a 2 foot dump off with the same effortless ease. A long range shooter who can pull up or come off of screens. A lockdown defender who uses his length to guard several positions. He could be quite the exciting player.

But on the other side, his downside is equally as catastrophic as his upside is exciting. A poor decision maker who forces passes, misses ill-advised shots, and takes defensive possessions off—three things that will not fly at the highest level, the NBA. And his NBL season could be a great indicator of which of these we will see come next season. But like his brother Lonzo, we really have to wait and see how LaMelo’s skills will translate to the NBA game, something I am very excited for. 

Generation Z Soccer Prospects

I'm sorry your soccer talents didn't blossom when you were five or twelve. Your soccer may have peaked in high school or your first year of college, yet no major soccer club came calling. I'm glad you're pursuing your little C and big C callings here at Covenant College. We're all glad you're here. Statistically, you're really late to making it to the most elite level -- so enjoy where you are right now and the soccer talent that is developing worldwide. 

In a globalized world, we are seeing more amazing talent reaching the shores of the biggest leagues in the world, whereas before they would have gone unnoticed, unscouted. Globalization has increased these clubs’ ability to reach different parts of the world, and national teams are benefitting as well. 

I've compiled a small list of the most exciting youth talent in the world right now. The sport is immense worldwide, so I am sure to have missed many more exciting prospects. Most of them are your age or close to it, so it's cool to look at what others in your generation are doing in the soccer sphere. 

Ansu Fati | 16 | FC Barcelona 

The youngest on this list hails from a West African nation, Guinea-Bissau. He moved to Seville, Spain with his father at age 6 and later signed with FC Barcelona at the age of 10. At 16 years and 268 days, he became the second-youngest debutant for Barcelona’s first team in July of this year. So far, in five games, Fati has scored two crucial goals. It's his poise with possession and flare in attack that have convinced FC Barcelona to place a 100-million-euro price tag on the starlet. FC Barcelona is currently negotiating a new contract, so that price may increase. With Lionel Messi as his teammate and mentor, there is no telling how great Fati will be in the years to come. 

Tierna Davidson | 20 | Chicago Red Stars

The youngest player on the 2019 U.S. World Cup winner roster, Tierna Davidson already has 21 appearances, one goal, and five assists playing from the back. Davidson attended Stanford for soccer, where she played center defensive midfield and would later move to center back for club and national team. She is a very influential player when on the field, with her defensive mindset for the ball and key distribution of the ball on offense. She'll be one to depend on for the next world cup in 2023 with fellow 21-year-old starlet, Mallory Pugh. 

Alphonso Davies | 18 | FC Bayern Münich 

Born in a refugee camp in Ghana of Liberian parents, Alphonso Davies' parents fled the second Liberian Civil War and later moved to Canada when he was 5. At age 14, in 2015, he signed with the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps youth squad where a year later he debuted in the MLS for the first team. With 2018 being his big breakout season, he captured the attention of the barbaric giants, Bayern Münich. He currently has 10 appearances and 2 goals--one being a major goal in the preseason against Tottenham. He'll most likely go on loan in the winter window based on where he stands in the pecking order of attacking wingers at Bayern. At 16, he became the youngest player to debut for Canada's national men's soccer team where he now has 16 appearances and 4 goals. 

Erling Braut Håland | 19 | Red Bull Salzburg 

The England-born Norweigan has already been through three clubs, and made his first team debut at 15 with Norweigan side Byrne in the first division. It was his performance back in May where he scored 9 goals against Honduras in the U-20 World Cup in Poland that took the soccer world by storm and put his name out there. He currently has 8 appearances with Salzburg and 11 goals this season alone. It has helped his case that he scored a hattrick for RB Salzburg in his Champions League debut on September 17th. His finesse in front of goal and prowess with the ball have categorized him as the most promising striker out there right now. We'll see how long RB Salzburg can keep him before big money clubs come knocking. 

Jadon Sancho | 19 | Borussia Dortmund 

Going into his third season with German side Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has been clinical. His coldblooded approach to his goals and vital approach on the offensive run make Sancho a promising winger. He will most likely be essential for England’s national squad, which recently have been a disappointment on the international stage. There's been speculation that he may return to the Premier League in England due to his current play of 4 goals in 9 games in all competitions for Borussia this season and 13 goals last season. His abilities are only getting better, as his goal percentage this season shows. His speed and dribbling ability make him appear quite mature on the field, yet exciting like any hungry young attacker trying to make an impact any chance he can. It'll be interesting to see if he returns to Manchester City or snubs them for any other big club in Europe. 

Honorable mentions: Ellie Carpenter, 19, Thorns FC | Ferran Torres, 19, Valencia | Gianluigi Donnarumma, 20, AC Milan | Rodrygo, 18, Real Madrid | Nicolo Zaniolo, 20, Roma AS

Will's Thoughts

My name is Will Kirkpatrick and I am a sports fanatic. Every single waking hour that I am not at school or with my girlfriend (shout out Sara), I am watching sports. SO! I naturally have many, many thoughts on the topic. Here are a few of them. 

On Georgia Football 

Yeah, I get it, every year our fanbase claims that “this is the year” and it has always ended in a heap of whimpering dawg fans. BUT NOT THIS YEAR! After two back-to-back heartbreaking defeats to Alabama on the cusp of our first National Title since 1980, I can confidently say that this is far and away the best football team that Athens, Georgia has produced since the 1980 team led by Herschel Walker. 

The team has no weaknesses. It has five star recruits all over the field. This is Kirby Smart’s sistine chapel. Finally, a team full of players he recruited after taking over the program from Mark Richt back in 2016. This truly is his team.

On offense, the Dawgs are led by superstar and future top ten NFL draft pick Jake Fromm. Entering his third year as a starter for the Dawgs, Fromm is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and has proven time and time again that he can and will perform at the highest level, even under the greatest of pressures. 

Fromm is flanked by a plethora of extremely talented running backs that includes Heisman candidate De’andre Swift out of Philadelphia. I might be a homer, but this kid looks a lot like prime Barry Sanders, just sayin’. James Cook, Brian Herrien, and Zamir White, all of whom will be future NFL tailbacks, are also featured in this star studded backfield. The wide receiver and tight-end core is equally as talented, but none are more impressive than true freshman George Pickens. And if you don’t believe me, google him, he’s ridiculous. He looks like AJ Green and I'm not exaggerating. 

On defense, I don’t even know where to start: superstar linebackers like Monty Rice, elite defensive backs- Eric Stokes and Tyson Campbell, two head-hunting safeties, and a stable of 5-star pass rushers (Nolan Smith is the next Jadeveon Clowney). Watch out Tua, that’s all I have to say. 

On Son Heung-Min

Easily the most likable footballer on the planet and a true superstar forward for Tottenham Hotspur, Son is just the best. I would do anything for this man. If you’re ever bored on a Saturday or Sunday morning, pop on the Spurs game and look for #7. The kid is electric, and I promise he will put a smile on your face (or a frown if you’re an Arsenal fan).

Gilbert Arenas

Recently the new NBA 2K20 was released—a very solid game, but that’s not where this is going. A while back 2K began adding historic teams for the user to play as. This part of the game has changed over the years, sometimes being a bigger part of the game, and other times a smaller part. But this year they decided to add a few new historic teams. Included in this addition is the 2006-07 Washington Wizards—a team lead by greats like Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and perhaps most notably, Gilbert Arenas.

I became a basketball fan while living in Ohio, meaning I was wrapped up in the excitement of seeing Lebron James begin to take over the NBA as a young and incredibly talented generational athlete. And while Lebron’s play was captivating, there was another player in the Eastern Conference who also never ceased to amaze—Gilbert Arenas. 

Arenas played 12 seasons in the NBA, 8 of them with the Washington Wizards and most of them wearing the number 0. Arenas was a potential first round pick out of Arizona. He played college ball alongside fellow NBA legend Richard Jefferson, losing the National Championship to Duke in his final season before being drafted. 

Upon entering the NBA, Arenas chose number 0 as a response to his critics who claimed he would play that many minutes in the league. His number quickly earned him the nickname Agent Zero, a nickname he embraced.

Arenas came into the NBA and quickly made an impact with the bad Golden State Warriors of a few years back, not the good ones of today. This led to Arenas receiving a large contract before his third season from the Washington Wizards, a team he supposedly chose on a coin flip. He began to hit his stride after joining the Wizards. During the 2004-05 season, Arenas and NBA legend Larry Hughes teamed up to be the NBA’s highest scoring backcourt. Arenas would go on to be a 3-time All-Star, once a starter—edging out Vince Carter—and three time All-NBA.

But in 2009, in the midst of a successful career, things began to fall apart for Arenas. Late in the year it was found out that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had been bringing firearms into the team locker room and had them during an argument regarding gambling debts in this same locker room. 

Shortly after this incident, Arenas’ teammates stood around him and he pretended to shoot them during pre-game introductions. Seeing this, the NBA decided to suspend him, and he was also punished for violating D.C. ordinances. Arenas would come back, but he was never quite the same. He moved around for a few seasons, ended up in China, then retired. 

Arenas had some problematic moments in his career, but he sure was exciting. He may have shot Nick Young with a BB gun during an NBA gun awareness meeting, but he was committed to doing good for D.C. during his time there and will forever live on as one of the most clutch NBA players of all time.