In only his second year, Gilbert started in all 82 games for the Warriors and averaged 18.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the Got Milk? Rookie Challenge during the 2003 NBA All-Star Weekend. Arenas was one of only eight players in the league to average at least 18.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, beating out fellow point guards Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker and becoming the first second-year player to win the award since Don MacLean in 1994.

Gilbert had Golden State Warrior fans buzzing and excited about their future. But a loophole in NBA’s collective bargaining agreement only allowed teams to offer a contract only up to the midlevel exception if over the salary cap. This made Gilbert an early bird free agent and his days in Golden State were about to be numbered.