The Arena
Hosted by The Arena
A daily sports debate show where 3-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and a panel of former pros give unfiltered takes on basketball news.
Gil's Arena is a player-centric, barbershop-style debate show broadcast live from a basement studio. Led by the provocative and often-comedic Gilbert Arenas, the panel of ex-NBA players provides raw, immediate reactions to league news, draft picks, and trade rumors. A significant portion of their content revolves around dissecting hypothetical trades and debating player legacies from a professional's point of view.
“Unlike polished network shows, Gil's Arena is defined by its raw, basement-studio aesthetic and a panel composed almost entirely of former professional players. This format allows for a level of candidness and inside-the-locker-room storytelling that is rare in sports commentary.”
Who hosts this show
The Arena is what happens when a 3-time All-NBA player, Gilbert Arenas, turns his basement into a studio to talk sports with other former pros daily. An Underdog Production, the show offers unfiltered looks at trending topics in the NBA and NFL. The primary basketball panel, "Gil's Arena," features Arenas alongside a rotating cast of former players like Brandon Jennings, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants, and Nick Young, moderated by Josiah Johnson.
Credentials & credits
- Gilbert Arenas: 3x NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team, NBA Most Improved Player (2003).
- Kenyon Martin: 15-season NBA veteran, NBA All-Star (2004), #1 overall pick in 2000 NBA Draft.
- Brandon Jennings: 9-season NBA veteran, NBA All-Rookie First Team (2010).
- Nick Young: 12-season NBA veteran, NBA Champion (2018).
- Rashad McCants: 4-season NBA veteran, NCAA Champion (2005), 14th overall pick in 2005 NBA Draft.
- Josiah Johnson: Former UCLA basketball player, son of NBA great Marques Johnson.
Other ventures
- The No Chill Podcast (Host)
- Nightcap (Co-host).
- The Arena: Gridiron (Co-host).
- Underdog Fantasy (Partner).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Darius Acuff Is The BEST Pick Of The NBA Draft!!Jun 26, 2026 · 9 min
- 02The Miami Heat Were FLEECED For Giannis!!Jun 24, 2026 · 19 min
- 03AJ Dybantsa Is The PERFECT Player To Save The WizardsJun 24, 2026 · 18 min
- 04The Giannis Trade & NBA Draft STUNS Gil's ArenaJun 24, 2026 · 2h 02m
- 05Giannis Trade Reaction & NBA Draft WATCH PARTY!!!Jun 24, 2026 · 2h 33m
- 06Giannis Antetokounmpo Is FINALLY FREE From The Bucks!!Jun 24, 2026 · 12 min
Notable episodes
- 01The Giannis Trade & NBA Draft STUNS Gil's Arena
This episode showcases a signature format element: reacting to a major, albeit hypothetical, trade rumor (Giannis to the Heat) as if it were breaking news, generating hours of debate and analysis.
- 02AJ Dybantsa Is The PERFECT Player To Save The Wizards
Highlights the show's focus on the NBA Draft, with the panel of former players, including a #1 pick (Kenyon Martin), providing unique insight into the pressure and potential of a top prospect.
- 03Darius Acuff Is The BEST Pick Of The NBA Draft!!
Demonstrates the show's dynamic by bringing in an outside media personality (Skip Bayless) to debate draft analysis with the core cast of former players.
What you'll be asked on this show
The show is a live, multi-person panel discussion moderated by Josiah Johnson, with Gilbert Arenas acting as the central star and opinion-driver. The conversation is loose, frequently veers into humorous tangents, and thrives on the strong, often conflicting, opinions of its ex-player cast. On-screen graphics are used to introduce topics and potential starting lineups for debate.
Questions The Arena keeps coming back to
- “What are your thoughts on [player] being drafted by [team]?”
- “What is your reaction to [team] taking [player] number one overall?”
- “What will [player] bring to your former squad, the [team]?”
- “Are the [team] a playoff team with this current roster?”
- “What's your reaction to the [hypothetical trade scenario]?”
- “How much does [player] really move the needle for this squad?”
Signature segments
- · Panel of former NBA players
- · Hypothetical 'What If' trade scenarios
- · Live reactions to NBA news and games
- · Starting 5 lineup debates
- · Glaze Wednesday
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show primarily features its rotating cast of former NBA players but also brings in other high-profile athletes and established media personalities like Scottie Pippen and Skip Bayless to join the panel.
- Skip Baylesson Darius Acuff Is The BEST Pick Of The NBA Draft!!
- Scottie Pippenon The Miami Heat Were FLEECED For Giannis!!
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show is presented by and partnered with Underdog Fantasy. Sponsorship is heavily integrated, with frequent mentions and a recurring promotional offer to "Play $5 Get $50" using the code 'ARENA'.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the main host of Gil's Arena?
- The show is centered around former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, with Josiah Johnson moderating the panel discussions.
- Is Gil's Arena still running?
- Yes, the show is active and produces new episodes multiple times a week.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a live panel discussion featuring Gilbert Arenas and a rotating cast of former professional basketball players reacting to and debating NBA news.
- Where can I watch or listen to Gil's Arena?
- The show is broadcast live on the Gil's Arena YouTube channel and is also available as a podcast on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
- Who are the regular panelists?
- The regular cast of former NBA players includes Brandon Jennings, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants, and Nick Young.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Gilbert Arenas - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [02]Kenyon Martin - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]Brandon Jennings - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [04]Nick Young - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [05]Rashad McCants - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [06]Player Bio: Josiah Johnson - UCLA Official Athletic Siteuclabruins.com
- [07]Underdog Extends Digital Basketball Show Gil's Arena Dealworldcasinonews.com
- [08]Gil's Arena YouTube Channelyoutube.com
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