Published 01/17/2023, 3:30 PM EST
The NBA is pretty popular for its insane halftime shows which sometimes feature some of the biggest celebrities in entertainment. Moreover, the dance performances by cheerleaders make the shows even better. With teams around the league transitioning into having family-friendly shows, a former NBA star made some comments on NBA cheerleaders recently that might upset some fans.
The former NBA star in question is none other than Gilbert Arenas. In a recent interview, he revealed how some players indulge in trysts with the cheerleaders more often than not. Additionally, he also asserted that while some teams have good-looking cheerleaders, some don’t. Interestingly, he feels that the Los Angeles Lakers’ cheerleaders are not as good looking now as they were during the reign of the Showtime Lakers.
Gilbert Arenas reveals shocking details about NBA cheerleaders
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Arenas started the interview with YouTuber DJ Vlad by revealing that teams don’t really care if their players are involved in interactions with the cheerleaders. The reason being? While the players are being paid by massive contracts, the dancers are just hired through $200/day contracts. They are not employees of the league.
Moreover, it seems the standards of cheerleading are not the same across the league, according to Arenas. Teams like the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks have great entertainers, while the Lakers don’t. However, the Lakers had the best cheerleaders during Magic Johnson’s time in the league, admitted the three-time All-Star.
Arenas said, “First of all, there only a few teams that got good enough cheerleaders that you wanna take seriously. You got Miami, Atlanta, Lakers girls are horrible. I haven’t seen the new ones but Lakers girls are like, there are some teams that like go after looks and there are some teams that go after dancing.”
He further said, “No one’s calling a timeout in Utah to see the dancers.” Unlike Utah, timeouts are called during the Miami Heat games to have a glimpse of the entertainers, according to Arenas.
The Miami Heat are not performing according to expectations
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Although the Heat might have the best cheerleaders in the league, the same cannot be said about their team currently. The Heat are 7th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 24-21 record.
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 8: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat, Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat, and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat look on during a game against the Chicago Bulls on December 8, 2019 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jimmy Butler is having a decent season averaging 22.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Bam Adebayo has also played an important role in the team’s successes so far as he averages 21.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. With a good roster and players performing well, a lot more is expected from the team.
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