As far as ‘welcome to the NBA’ moments go, Nick Young’s arrival in the Wizards was different. It was not served by a reigning star on the court but by a teammate in a parking lot. It doesn’t take much to figure out that the veteran in this case is Gilbert Arenas. No Chill Gil lived up to that name during his Wizards era and especially when he got a favorite target in Swaggy P. His pranks on Young make an infamous compilation of stories and the then-rookie will never stop exposing them. Less than two months after confronting Arenas about their first meeting, Swaggy is whining about it again.

This time it was with Jeff Teague on the Club 520 podcast. Teague was two years away from the league when the Washington Wizards selected Nick Young 16th overall in the 2007 draft. So he gets to ask the 6’7 guard what it was like getting picked by the team. With the demeanor of someone who survived a battle, Young says, “It was tough, man.” And the reason that makes him sound tired even 17 years later is Gilbert Arenas.

Drafted in 2001, Arenas arrived in Washington in 2003 and briefly played alongside a retiring Michael Jordan. So he got away with acting out. The first day Young arrived in training camp, “You come outside, the parking lot is filled with fire extinguisher, it’s all over everybody’s cars.”

It’s a well-known story but to the uninitiated, Young walked into his first day on the job to Arenas pranking the entire Wizards workforce. “Gil just flooded everybody cars with the fire extinguisher my first day.” And rookie Swaggy was not spared either. “I’m like, ‘dawg, what is this?’ [Arenas] took my wheels off and rode them into the film room first day as a rook. I was… this ain’t what the NBA is about.”

Despite the culture shock he gave his rookie, Arenas and Young formed a tight friendship. Most of it leaving Swaggy scarred for life.

Gilbert Arenas’ favorite target – Nick Young

When Young was on Gil’s Arena in May, he pointed at Gil and said, “That’s my dawg, but he ruined my life.” Even Arenas’ colleagues agreed Agent Zero was the worst veteran to have for a rookie. The fire extinguisher prank was just an initiation rite because Arenas was “bored.” 

He even got the team owner, Ted Leonsis’ car. But no one blinked because “oh it’s just Gil.’” Arenas did have a cool friendship with Leonsis. Famously, an overheard conversation between both spread about Arenas refusing to turn his shaggy beard into a goatee like Leonsis. Arenas grew that beard after losing a bet with Young but it only lasted in the offseason.

Over the four years they were teammates, Arenas tormented Young for laughs. Gil once made him dress up as a chauffeur and drive him around. And now that they’re retired and dads, Arenas proudly admits he kept the tradition going with Swaggy’s son, Nick Young Jr. No escaping Agent Zero for the Swaggy fam.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.