Anywhere Gilbert Arenas lays his head is his home. (Getty Images)
When former Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas signed a gigantic $111 million contract extension back in the summer of 2008, we sharply disagreed with the move, while giving a knowing nod to Arenas' reputation as the NBA's lovable goofball prince. Undeterred, Arenas set to spending that money and enhancing that reputation by beginning construction on a massive D.C.-area mansion complete with a grotto, an infamous shark tank (that cost $5,000 a month in maintenance bills), seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a couple of "sitting rooms" that sit between bedrooms and bathrooms that Gilbert clearly didn't use much as his knees (and reputation) fell apart over the years since.
Things bottomed out in 2011-12 for Gil, as he sat on the end of the bench in Memphis, two teams away from Washington and working for a minimum salary after hitting the waiver wire in late 2011. The contract has finally run its course, Gilbert's time in the NBA is likely done, and soon after the last of that confetti was swept away, Arenas put his mansion up for sale. According to his realtors, it can be yours for $3.5 million.
Via D.C. Sports Bog, Deadspin, SB Nation and Mouse on House you can now look at the mansion that once held so much promise. So much promise of shark and bikini but mostly shark grotto parties. Click the jump for a few pictures of the one-time palace:
The front porch. (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The famous shark tank (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The media room (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
How the foyer appeared, when Arenas descended his staircase (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The master bedroom (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The hot tub, from within the grotto (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The outdoor patio, grotto to the right (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
The game room, where only the 'Scarface' poster remains (Courtesy MouseOnHouse.com)
Here's the description of the listing, from Arenas' realtors:
Truly unique - One of a kind! Expansive grand home sited on an exquisite gated lot. Soaring ceilings, gleaming cherry floors, CUSTOM details throughout, grand entertaining spaces and comfortable family living space, true CHEF'S kitchen w/large breakfast room overlooks the HUGE in-ground pool and Grotto, your own fantasy playground!!
(!!)
Andrew Sharp, at SB Nation, has penned a loving tribute to Gilbert's time in the house. Including his week-long "strike" away from his wife staying away from the mansion and sleeping in the Wizards' practice facility, the weird and Gilbert-heavy proposal ceremony that preceded that marriage, paintball fights with teammates that roped in some hired contractors to fill out a fair team for each side, all ending with this culmination from Sharp:
But what I'm saying is, Gilbert Arenas was the most delightfully batsh!t pro athlete we've seen in decades, out there living in the dream on a daily basis, and his "fantasy playground" house was a perfect extension of all that. The dreams are totally dead now, yeah, and that waterslide looks like it hasn't been used in years. But screw it.
Or, buy it. Your move, eccentric millionaires
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