The ’09 draft class had Blake Griffin, James Harden, Stephen Curry, and DeMar DeRozan as the top 9 picks. But lately, the spotlight has unexpectedly shifted to other draft mates like Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague, and Ty Lawson. Why these 3 names, you might ask? Well, thanks to Gilbert Arenas, Brandon Jennings called them out. Jennings kicked it off with a defiant claim, “Jrue Holiday has never been better than me.” But why did Agent Zero kick-start all of it?

“It’s content, right, I know how to make people jump, man. So you know, I know he’s a wild card..All you did is challenge his resume and start calling out everybody. Yeah, so you know me. I’m just naming everybody who got a podcast cuz I know who’s going to respond.” On Lou Williams’ podcast, Arenas accepted his role for instigating Brandon Jennings. “Once he gets hyped, he ain’t thinking no more. He just going red. Yeah, he’s on red.” So, how did the former Warriors star start his provocation?

“I looked at uh if they redid the draft if they redid it, where would everyone land? So, he was out on like 15. So, I was just naming everybody in front of him.” The top 4 names after the redraft were Curry, Harden, DeRozan, and Griffin. Things escalated when Celtics star Jrue Holiday was number 5 on the list. This triggered a reaction from Jennings. He wasted no time asserting his place among the best of his draft class.

“Jrue Holiday was NEVER better than me in the game of basketball,” the 35-year-old declared. “He has a better career than me. But he is not better than me.” Fueled by Arenas’ instigation and eager to defend his name, when asked who would win between him and other former NBA guards like Lou Williams and Jeff Teague, his response was instant.

“If me and Lou Will play 1-on-1, I’m winning… Jeff Teague, whoever. If anyone wants to play 1v1, let’s go!” For guys like Jennings and Lawson, this isn’t just about a redraft. It’s about legacy. About not being forgotten in an era that moved on without them.

The 2009 draft class had no interest in hyping Brandon Jennings’ claim

Arenas’s motive was to generate content, and it worked. As the 2009 draft class shared their opinions online, the fans had a lot to feast on. First, it was #18 pick Ty Lawson who wasn’t having it. Before entering the draft, the UNC alum led his team to an NCAA championship. Plus, that year he won the Bob Cousy Award, which is for the best college point guard. Lawson, who once led UNC to a national title, didn’t hold back.

“Bruh, you was cool… but you wasn’t nicer than me in the NBA.” He reminded Jennings that while he had that one 55-point game, it never happened again. Lawson also recalled a time when his team “smacked” Brandon Jennings’ squad. On the other hand, Jeff Teague may have played peacemaker, but even he couldn’t resist throwing a few subtle jabs of his own.

“You were more known than us… but everything you could do in high school, I could do”. Teague also pointed out that Jennings never played with true stars. “You ain’t never played with no killers… You didn’t have to pass the ball to Joe Johnson and f****** Jamal Crawford.” He ended his stance stating that Brandon Jennings’ comparison with Holiday is just out of the question.

Gilbert Arenas knew exactly what he was doing. He picked his piece, moved it across the board, and let the rest play out. Jennings ranted. Lawson clapped back. Teague danced around the fire. And Jrue? He stayed silent – like someone who knows his résumé speaks louder than any redraft.

That’s the irony. In trying to reclaim respect, Jennings may have ended up proving the very point Arenas set out to make: the game might be over, but the scoreboard is still running. And only some have the stats to back the talk