Welcome to the first annual Hibacho (Hibachi + Nacho = Hibacho) Awards. These are kind of like the awards that Gilbert gave out at the end of the NBA season, just the awards focus more on Gilbert and his eccentricities than pressing issues like who should be MVP or any of that “important” stuff. With that said, let’s start handing out the awards:

Best Commercial Involving Gilbert Arenas

Adidas - Impossible is 0

Sure, there were ads that played off his quirks better but this was the commercial that sealed his status as one of the elite players in the NBA.

Honorable Mentions: The Shoot Button and Gilbert Painting the Town

Best Gilbert Quote

My swag was phenomenal!

Honorable Mention: “I told them to cut the leg off a couple times. You know, cut it off and then bring it back to me when it was all healed. Because, you know, Heather Mills on Dancing with the Stars, she had that leg. I was saying I could borrow one of those and finish out the season. But they wasn’t going for that.”

Quality Shot of the Year

Gilbert’s game-winner against Milwaukee:

His shot against Utah was more dramatic, but the shot against Milwaukee just seemed so much more natural and more like something that Gilbert would practice for. And as we all know: If you practice it, it’s a quality shot. So the Milwaukee shot takes it.

Performance of the Year

Gilbert’s 51 point barrage against Utah takes the cake here, since his performances against the Lakers and Suns happened in 2006.

Best Gilbert Arenas Mix

Welcome to the Show:

Good song choice, great effects, nice synchronization. The only thing keeping it from getting more recognition is that “Gilber Arenas” is misspelled.

Honorable Mentions: Chocolate Rain & Ghost Dog

Site Most Responsible for Launching Gilbert’s Superstardom (besides his blog and Gilbertology of course)

DC Sports Bog wins the award here. No one captured the swagfest that was the Wizards’ locker room better than Dan Steinberg, and no one did a better job of relaying the latest news on Gilbert’s crazy happenings than he did.

Honorable Mentions: Bullets Forever, Deadspin, FreeDarko, The Hype Guy, Mister Irrelevant, Wizznutzz

Best Gilbert Shirt

No explanation needed:

Honorable Mentions: If No One Votes For Me, I’m Not Going To Do Anymore Blogs! & I Want My GilTV.

It’s been a great year for the study of Gilbertology (besides the injuries of course), here’s to a great 2008!

On NBA.com they’re running a series of top 10 lists for different plays from this season. Gilbert’s game winner against Milwaukee was ranked 8th and his game winner against Seattle was put at 4th on the top 10 clutch shots of they year.

His buzzer beater against Utah was named the 8th best play of the year.

Those of you who have subscriptions to SLAM Magazine have already seen this, but for those of you who haven’t, here’s Sam Rubenstein comparing Gilbert Arenas to Jim Carrey:

The 2nd returns of All-Star voting have come in and Gilbert finds himself 5th among Eastern Conference guards:

Dwyane Wade (Mia) 777,764
Jason Kidd (NJ) 559,333
Vince Carter (NJ) 468,051
Ray Allen (Bos) 464,810
Gilbert Arenas (Was) 422,463
Chauncey Billups (Det) 238,125

You can vote for Gilbert here:

We Believe…That Gilbert is Good!

Via Golden State of Mind, here’s an e-mail from a Warriors fan sent to Bill Simmons regarding a certain second year guard on the Warriors from back in 2003:

“I’ve been a season ticket holder for 25 years and I’m telling you, Gilbert Arenas will be one of the best 10 players in the league in two years.”

Maybe it had something to do with the quintuple teams… 

If you don’t believe me, you can read it right here.  If you don’t think he was right, consider that this and this both happened within two years of that article.