5 NBA Players who retired too early

#3 Gilbert Arenas

Agent Zero also plays for the Big 3 League

Gilbert Arenas' career started off on a promising note, and then ended on a bad one. Arenas was the 31st pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, where he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors.

Agent Zero is arguably one of the top second-round picks of all time. While he played well in college, he had to prove himself in the NBA. He wore the number zero to represent the number of minutes people said he would play in the NBA.

Arenas played two seasons with the Warriors before signing with the Wizards. In his first season, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.7assists, and 2.8 rebounds. In his second season, his stats improved significantly, and he averaged 18.3 points, 6.3 assists, and a career-high 4.7 rebounds. His performance that season led to Arenas winning the Most Improved Player award in 2003.

After his MIP win, Arenas signed with the Washington Wizards. His stint with the Wizards is where he truly made a name for himself. In his first season with the Wizards, he averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists. He followed up that season with a career-high 29.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. Then, things took a turn.

In the 2007-08 season, Arenas played only 13 games (starting in eight) due to a knee injury. The following season, he played only two games. Then, in 2009, Arenas dealt with a controversial issue. That season, it was revealed that he kept unloaded firearms in his locker. It was also revealed that he and a teammate had unloaded weapons during an argument over gambling.

The NBA took action and suspended him indefinitely. He returned in the 2010-11 season and played 24 games with the Wizards before they traded him to the Orlando Magic. After a stint with the Magic, he went on to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, which was his final NBA stop.

Arenas later signed with the Shanghai Sharks of China. He averaged 24.9 points in his only season with the Sharks. Then, Arenas retired at the age of 30.

As of now, Arenas plays for the Big 3 League. So, Arenas is still tied to the game, even if it is not the NBA.

For Arenas, injuries and controversies affected the latter years of his career. If those did not get in the way, Arenas could have remained a star.