Gilbert Should be Embraced

There may be many reasons to boo Arenas tonight, or yell expletives toward him. There may be many reasons to hope he misses every shot he takes this evening. But in Gilbert's return to the phone booth tonight, let's embrace him. Let's accept him for who he was. Of course, Gilbert made many mistakes during his time in D.C., but let's not forget what he did do for this town. He arrived in 2003 when basketball was at one of it's lowest points here. Jordan was gone, and still not a playoff appearance since 1997 for Washington. He lifted the spirits of this town, by rising to prominence as an elite scorer, and for providing much needed entertainment.

Gilbert never meant to hurt a soul. His quest was to be the best, and he was a work horse in attempting to do so. He led the Wizards to 4 straight playoff appearances, and brought back basketball as a relevant event in Chinatown. Sure, we will always remember the downfall of Gilbert Arenas. But tonight, lets set that all aside, and cheer for the man who brought the Wizards back, and captured the entire city by surprise.