“Don’t worry about trying to live up to my footsteps,” Gilbert Arenas assured his son. For a kid whose father is Agent Arenas, the pressure isn’t just high, it’s sky-high. And with that comes praise, public scrutiny, criticism, and so much more. It’s a lot for a 17-year-old to handle. But fortunately, Arenas, who’s been through the fire himself, is guiding his son. Whether it’s about his future NIL deals or a skill move, Arenas tries to be the coach for his son. Even when it comes to social media, he’s got some hard-earned wisdom to pass down.

Agent Zero, who has played in this era and knows a thing or two about the pros and cons, called it a fair game on Gil’s Arena Live from the NBA All-Star event. However, when it came to the advice he gave his son, he issued a warning. “I told my son man social media is entertainment. Entertainment is not meant for your feelings so if you care what people are saying don’t be on it….50% of the people going to like you 50% are going to hate you right so it’s fair game so when you’re posting something understand it’s for entertainment purposes people want to be recognized you like the people that’s going to like you,” Arenas said.

He further added, “You like the people that’s not going to like you like it’s don’t take this s— serious if you do you’re f—–. I say, look this is a world like if you don’t want to be criticized stay off social media other than that it’s fair game for everybody.”  Arenas’ advice will help Alijah build a healthy social media connection and thrive on it. With Alijah joining the USC Trojans next year, there will be a lot of eyes following Alijah.

And he should be able to handle both fame and criticism. His public image has the potential to make or break his NIL deals. Young Arenas has had deal offers from several brands even before stepping onto the college basketball scene. He will be playing under Coach Eric Musselman, who also coached his father, Arenas, in the NBA.

And it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that Alijah, too, will enjoy massive popularity, much like Bronny James did. James once had an NIL valuation of $5.9 million. And he is quite good at handling the critcism as well. If Young Arenas is following his father’s advice, there might be a chance for him to crack such a deal. Alijah currently has a deal with Panini and an NIL valuation of $720K, ranking as the 22nd highest among high school basketball players.

But both Arenas and his son aren’t too focused on the lucrative NIL deals. Agent Zero has also advised his son about the NIL deal. 

Gilbert Arenas’ advice for son on NIL deal is important for NBA career

Arenas believes that the NIL deals of jaw-dropping value that brands offer to young players will only act as a hindrance for a player who has the potential to go far beyond college sports. He also believes that his son has the potential to shine in the NBA. So, his suggestion for Alijah was simple. 

“Like I tell my son, I said, ‘Man, look this is not, this is fool’s gold bags right, you have NBA potential right?…Then you look there the more you keep looking to the side these and let me get 50,000; 25,000 here. You missing the goal!” Arenas said on Gils Arena podcast.

He suggested that the athletes should focus on their game rather than the deals. Alijah understands his father’s experience and advice. He once said, “With NIL, it’s just kind of a learning experience to get you ready for something. I know that there’s a lot of money in the league, and a lot of money there in life. The league is just the start and then your life branches out.” 

He added, “I never looked at the league as just the league. I’ve looked at it, how much can I really do with what I’m getting and what I’m doing and what I have.” Alijah feels that while it’s good to have deals, he won’t put in much focus on that. And as Arenas suggested, he will have to remain focused on his goal to survive every storm and reach his full potential.