Arenas earns third All-NBA selection

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was named to the All-NBA second team yesterday, the third straight season he earned All-NBA honors.

Arenas was named to the third team the two previous seasons. He and Elvin Hayes (1972-73 through 1976-77) are the only players in franchise history to be honored in three consecutive seasons.

"To be recognized among these players is a great honor," Arenas said in a statement issued by the team. "Only 15 players, and just six guards, get picked for the All-NBA teams, so there are a lot of great players who did not make the team, but who are still very deserving. Twenty-four players get picked for the All-Star Game, and that's a great honor, but even fewer get picked for this, so it's a real accomplishment, and a lot of the credit has to go to my teammates."

Arenas averaged 28.4 points a game in his sixth season -- third-best in the league -- and helped push the Wizards toward the playoffs for the third straight year before his season was cut short with a knee injury last month.

Arenas made his third consecutive All-Star team and first as a starter for the Eastern Conference. He scored at least 30 points in a game 35 times, 40-plus nine times and 50-plus on three occasions, including a new single-game franchise record 60 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 17. Arenas was also named Eastern Conference player of the month in December and Eastern Conference player of the week three times.

-- John N. Mitchell