HoopsTV Original Content

CHOOSING GIL'S HEIR APPARENT
Lead Story by: HoopsTV

We're still trying to recover from Monday's gut wrenching news out of the nation's capital that Gilbert Arenas , the most entertaining player in the League, has sworn to concentrate only on basketball and declared, "I'm not the entertainer anymore." . As we attempt to deal with the reality that "Agent Zero" may cease to exist, the conversation here at the HoopsTV offices turned to determining who will step up, fill the void left by Gilbert's retirement and grab the title of most entertaining player in the the NBA. We then took the time to compile a list of candidates for your review.

We're excluding Stephon Marbury from this list as his antics this summer blew past entertaining into the "just sad" zone rather quickly. So putting Starbury aside for now, here is our list of candidates to follow Gilbert's reign as the most entertaining player in the NBA and the odds for the likelihood of each player taking the crown.

Shaq : He's the obvious choice, but maybe too obvious. His resume is filled with tremendous quotes, great trash talk, out of this world antics and side splitting Youtube videos. Plus he asked the most important question in NBA history, "Kobe, how's my ass taste?" This summer's "Shaq Vs." television show took his antics to a whole new level and introduced "The Diesel's" engaging personality to a new audience outside of the basketball world. Extra bonus points because he practically runs Twitter, but one question hangs over O'Neal as the heir apparent, "Is Shaq's act played out?"

ODDS : 3:2

Steve Nash : Nash has done some very funny and well written TV commercials. He also created and directed the Youtube sensation "SuperBadge" which featured Shaq and Alando Tucker and Nash has starred in several of his own online hits for Youtube and IbeatYou.com. The first baller of Canada was tremendous as David Letterman's "2009 NBA Playoff Correspondent" as well, so it's safe to say that Nash has the video thing on lock. Nash also has the "regular Joe" routine down and in the off season you can frequently catch him on the streets of NYC or playing soccer in some park. However his Twitter skills and quotes could use some spicing up.

ODDS : 4:1

DeShawn Stevenson : Stevenson had the stones to talk smack with Lebron, he's a quote machine and he has grown some awesome facial hair in the past. All of those items are big pluses in our minds. He was involved in that insane Youtube shooting contest video with Gilbert which was a huge internet hit, so he's aware of the power of digital media. Plus his latest Abraham Lincoln tattoo only adds to one of the best and most creative body art collections in the League. Obviously he is teammates with Gilbert and thus the possibility of an "Agent Zero" cameo in whatever shenanigans Stevenson is up to hangs in the air just teasing us to death. That's a huge bonus, but we wonder if Stevenson has a high enough national profile to take Gil's place.

ODDS : 6:1

Dwight Howard : People either love or hate the whole "Superman" persona. For us here at HoopsTV it works and works well. He's made solid comedic appearances on Youtube, Ibeatyou.com and NBA.com. He was Bobby Deniro-esque in his Vitamin Water ad, so we are sure more commercials will follow. Howard also lives on Twitter, actually posts interesting entries and frequently includes Twitpics for his followers. Overall Dwight appears to be just a big kid who is having a load of fun on a nightly basis and that connects with fans in a major way. Bonus points for taking on Shaq in a "dance off" at ASG 2007.

ODDS : 6:1

If Nash can up his Twitter game and "keep it real" a little more often with his quotes, he could assume Gil's throne.

Ron Artest : Ron-Ron has been after Gilbert's crown for years and it may be his time to assume the throne. Historically perhaps no other NBA player has made better use of Youtube to show the world his hidden talents then Artest. Here at HoopsTV, we have worked with Ron several times and he never fails to leave us in stitches. His Youtube videos from China this past summer were tremendous and only further promoted his eccentric personality. As a bonus, Artest is deep into the rap game and even though we recognize that Ron's skills on the mic are better then most, when NBA ballers head down that path it always leads to hilarious misadventures. So the potential is there for Ron. Plus he's in LA now which introduces a whole new dynamic to Ron -- celebrities. The big concern is that people may have grown tired of Ron's "act" and don't care anymore.

ODDS : 7:1

Nate Robinson : The "Krypto-Nate" show he put on with Dwight Howard at the 2009 Slam Dunk Contest was just the tip of the iceberg with regards to how engaging Nate's big personality can be. Any player who Twitters while he is being pulled over, detained and eventually taken in by NYC's finest has to be on the list. Bonus points for the fact that he plays on the Knicks and lives in New York which gives Nate an unending well of material from which to draw. However we question if he is a big enough star in the League to carry the torch for Gil.

ODDS : 8:1

Baron Davis : A few years ago we thought B-Diddy was going to snatch the most entertaining player crown right off Gilbert's head. Back then Davis always spoke his mind with no fear, gave off a down to earth vibe, could drop free style with the best of them and even took us for a cruise in his low rider. But something happened not long ago and the Davis we grew to know and appreciate disappeared. Now other then pimpin' the hell out of his IbeatYou.com and his infrequent, rather mediocre Twitter entries you never hear anything out of "BoomDizzle". But if things go bad in LA this year, there is a ton of potential for the Baron Davis we miss and remember to come out of retirement with a vengeance. For that reason alone he makes the list.

ODDS : 10:1

Andre Iguodala : 'Dre is the dark horse on the list, but none the less a very entertaining character. Iguodala's extremely laid back personality makes him seem very approachable and like a regular guy which in our mind is very similar to Gilbert. His portrayal of "Chief Blocka" in the Nike Hyperdunk commercials this summer was fantastic. Bonus points for the fact that Iggy shaved his own hair into a mohawk because he was so into the role. How many players who are the face of a franchise would have done that sh**? AI9 is one of the League's best Twitter guys, enjoys including Twitpics and has given away tickets to games and other items to fans via Twitter. As a bonus, he no fear of UStream either. His star is on the rise around the League and if Philly can get deeper in the Playoffs and allow Iggy to spend more time in the national spotlight, he could walk away with Gil's crown.

ODDS : 13:1

Honorable Mention :

Lebron

Joakim Noah

Kenyon Martin

Chris Andersen

Iguodala is the dark horse to replace Gil as the NBA's most entertaining player.