Check out an interview with Gilbert Arenas from Sole Colector where Gil talks about his many shoes, his previous sneaker deals, his favorite kicks, and much more.

SLAM’s Michael Tillery interviewed Gilbert on Tuesday regarding several different topics, including how he’s changed his mental approach since he’s been forced to be a spectator:

Michael Tillery: Being out Gilbert, what have you focused on mentally seeing the game from the outside looking in?

Gilbert Arenas: Watching the game like a coach. It’s easy to watch it as a player. You see things and you try to figure out what coach is talking about. As you sit there, you begin to think like a coach instead of a player.

The DC Sports Bog has some highlights from his interview with Men’s Journal that just have to be read.  I’d give you a snippet, but I don’t want to ruin it for you.  Once you read it you’ll probably understand why he licked his teammates’ donuts.

Finally, the Washington Times got Gilbert’s thoughts on the Shaq trade.

Dime Magazine interviewed Gilbert Arenas about his predictions for the Eastern Conference teams this season as well as who he thinks some of the surprise players and MVP candidates will be.  D.C. Sports Bog also managed to get a little talking time with him and asked, among other things, how he feels about Wednesday’s opener:

“I’m trying not to be excited too much. We went out and had an excellent practice today. We’re jelling as a group, especially offensively. And defensively. And we’re just ready to show what we have Wednesday night. We have to be determined in practice and attack each other if we want to do that on the floor.”

While you all are trying to find ways to be compensated for your Halo losses, make sure to also check out Gilbert’s interview with Complex.com where he talks about several things, including Halle Berry.
Gilbert on shoes, including another quote I’m sure Adidas will love to hear:

C: Growing up were you a sneakerhead?
Gilbert Arenas: Yeah I was a big sneaker head. That’s why I know I wasn’t going to wear no 15 dollar pair of shoes. I’d spend my whole allowance to go buy some Jordan’s. Every shoe that came out that was hot, I had ‘em.

C: You still buy Jordan’s?
Gilbert Arenas: Yeah. You know what? I have about 40 pairs of them. (laughs) I don’t lie.

Gilbert on being considered a “shoot first point guard”:

C: Would you consider yourself a shoot-first, pass-second point guard?
Gilbert Arenas: When I look at that, and this is for our “experts” out there, when they call me a shoot-first point guard, and I’m like, am I the only shoot first point guard in this league that ever had two players that scored 20 points a game? Yes. So If I’m a shoot-first point guard, how do I have two other players that average 20 points? And no one ever realized that. I said name another scorer that averages the same amount as me that also has two players that average 20 points. You will never find one.

Gilbert on opting out of his contract next season:

C: So you mentioned that you’d opt out after this season what cities would be your top choices to play in?
Gilbert Arenas: L.A., San Antonio, Dallas, Houston

If I were a Wizards’ fan (and coincidentally, I am) I wouldn’t be too concerned with his last quote. The only appeal for Gilbert to going to L.A. would be to play with Kobe, and since it looks less and less likely that will happen, I doubt we’ll see him don the purple and gold. As for the three Texas teams, those are just smokescreens. The only way he’d end up on any of those teams is if he took a massive, massive pay cut which would defeat the purpose of opting out of his contract.

One more interview that I found, only moments after I posted highlights from the Deadspin interview. VH1′s Game Break managed to get a little time with Gilbert yesterday and talk about his gaming habits. Included in the interview was this little nugget which I’m sure will go down in Gilbertology folklore:

HG: How serious do your online sessions get?

GA: A couple of weeks ago, I sat playing Halo 2 for 14 hours straight. I had some sandwiches ready because I knew I’d be playing a long time. But I didn’t think it would be that long. Fourteen hours, although I did take a bathroom break.

(HT: Scott Van Pelt Style)