{"id":772409,"date":"2018-05-21T15:09:47","date_gmt":"2018-05-21T19:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=772409"},"modified":"2022-09-21T21:53:41","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T02:53:41","slug":"nick-young-gilbert-arenas-the-history-of-the-benihana-x-adidas-gil-ii-zero-hibachi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/nick-young-gilbert-arenas-the-history-of-the-benihana-x-adidas-gil-ii-zero-hibachi\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Young, Gilbert Arenas & The History Behind the Benihana x adidas Gil II Zero “Hibachi”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last night in Oakland, Nick Young stole the show as far as sneakers go by breaking out the 10-year old Benihana x adidas Gil II Zero “Hibachi”<\/strong> in a Game 3 win. While only 1,000 pairs were made and sold exclusively in DC back in 2008, the model’s endorser himself is a one-of-one that doesn’t get enough credit as far as hoops or sneakers are concerned.<\/p>\n Gilbert Arenas as a 2007 All-Star starter in the adidas Gil Zero (photo via Zimbio<\/a>)\n

You might think the sneaker’s original endorser, Gilbert Arenas<\/strong>, is wild now on IG or on Complex’s Out of Bounds<\/em>, but the dude was on another level during his playing peak with the Wizards.<\/p>\n

In the mid-2000s, Agent Zero was known to play an inordinate amount of Halo, sleep only three to four hours a night<\/a> — occasionally in a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber<\/a> — and assembled a collection of 262 game-worn jerseys<\/a> that ranged from Penny Hardaway’s McDonald’s All-American tank to Jason McElwain’s #52 Greece-Athena High School top. You surely know who Penny is but if by chance you forgot about Jason, he’s the inspirational autistic high school student who came off the bench as a team manager on senior night and scored 20 points in the final four minutes of play.<\/p>\n

Quirky, compulsive and creative — that’s Gil.<\/p>\n

While Gil’s peculiar personality and pro playing career averages of 20, 5 and 4 make him an obvious signature athlete, it took time, numbers and protest for Gil to realize his potential at adidas. Making his second straight All-Star Game in 2006, Arenas would cover up adidas text and logos on his shoes during the game, putting the brand on blast in an effort to ask for more attention and opportunities in regards to his marketing dreams.<\/p>\n

“When I first signed my deal, they said if I made the All-Star Game in the first three years, we could rip up this contract and sign a new one,” Arenas told ESPN’s Darren Rovell back in ’06<\/a>. “Well, I made it last year and they blew me off, and nothing has happened this year either. All I want is to get my face out there. If I’m the last person on the totem pole, just tell me I’m not in your future — don’t keep my hopes and dreams up.”<\/p>\n

Athletes going public and getting vocal over contracts was nothing new in 2006, but asking for more opportunities to create while threating to leave both the brand and cash on the table was Kanye before Kanye.<\/p>\n

“It’s not about the money,” said Arenas in ’06. “I want to be in their advertising, have a commercial, be in a print campaign. I’ll even pay for the commercial to be made. If they terminate me, I won’t have a problem with that. I’ll pay them the money they owe me and the money they just gave me. Just let me out clean, don’t hold anything against me and let’s pretend like we didn’t even know each other.”<\/p>\n

Well, adidas listened as Arenas would have his first signature shoe — the adidas Gil Zero — before the end of the calendar year<\/a>. He’d walk it like he talked it, becoming a first-time All-Star starter one year after his protest.<\/p>\n

The two talked about seasons (05-06 & 06-07) would make for a lot of walking and a lot of talking. On the court, Arenas would average right around 29 points and 6 dimes a night during the time of his public protest and signature shoe arrival. Now putting the pressure on his opponents, the high-energy hooper would prove the marketing maven he believed he could be in an era before memes existed.<\/p>\n