Over the years, the NBA and sneaker culture have become inseparable. From signature deals to viral marketing stunts, brands are always looking for the next big thing. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Converse certainly thought they had one with their latest promotional move. But while many applauded the creativity, Gilbert Arenas had one big issue with it—and he didn’t hold back.

Recently, after an impressive win against the Celtics, SGA and Converse decided to leave their mark in Boston in a bold way. They projected his signature logo onto multiple buildings across the city, including the iconic TD Garden. It was a move straight out of a superhero movie, lighting up the skyline in a Bat-Signal-style stunt. But for all its flash, Arenas wasn’t impressed.

Speaking on his podcast, the former All-Star made it clear he had one major gripe with the $2.1 billion brand’s strategy. “How the f— do we supposed to know who it is?” he said bluntly. While he understood the idea, he felt the execution missed the mark. “You gotta understand, this his first shoe, this his first logo, no one knows what it is yet,” he explained.

Instead of just projecting the logo, he argued that Converse should’ve taken a more direct approach. “You have to put a face to the logo, he should’ve been on this building with the logo so that people can correlate the two!”

In a way, he has a point. The logo was first introduced to the NBA world during All-Star Weekend but hasn’t been in the mainstream since. For many Bostonians, seeing an unfamiliar symbol suddenly projected onto their city’s landmarks probably felt random. However, fans online seem to disagree, with many praising the stunt as a fresh and exciting way to promote SGA’s new sneaker.

Fans push back against Gilbert Arenas’ roast

As Gilbert Arenas’ comments made the rounds online, fans weren’t exactly on his side. Many felt the marketing stunt had done its job, sparking conversations about SGA’s brand. “People definitely talked about this and asked each other if they saw it, great move from marketing,” one fan pointed out. Another wasn’t buying Arenas’ argument at all, saying, “How it didn’t go viral but you are literally talking about something you wasn’t there to see?” Clearly, the campaign had made an impact.

Interestingly, Converse had only just introduced Shai’s signature shoes and logo during All-Star Weekend, less than a month ago. The sneakers aren’t even available to the public yet, which means most people haven’t had a chance to get familiar with the logo. But that’s exactly why Converse went big with this stunt—it was all about building recognition before the official release.

Interestingly, Converse, now owned by Nike, generated a massive $2.1 billion in revenue last year. With that kind of backing, it’s only a matter of time before SGA’s logo gains traction. “That’s the first time YOU @GilsArenaShow have seen it. Stop putting everybody in a box,” one fan clapped back. Another compared it to an iconic symbol, saying, “Nobody knew what the bat signal looks like either at first.”

For some fans, though, the logo is more than just branding—it’s personal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander designed it himself, incorporating a mirrored ‘2’ that represents his jersey number and his well-rounded, two-way game. To them, it’s a perfect reflection of his identity on the court. “Makes sense,” one fan summed up. But whether Arenas was being too harsh or just calling it as he sees it, the debate rages on.