Gilbert Arenas attempted to secure a trademark for the title 'Most Wanted'
Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA star who played for the Orlando Magic, has found himself in legal trouble once again. In March 2023, he was arrested and indicted on charges of operating an illegal gambling business.
This isn't the first time Arenas has faced criminal charges. Back in 2010, he was involved in a locker room incident with a gun, for which he served a 30-game suspension. Now, he faces two criminal counts, each of which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years.
However, there is no public indication that Arenas ever pursued a cannabis venture, despite filing for a trademark for "Most Wanted" with a marijuana leaf in 2014. The trademark application was filed by patent attorney Dave Nocilly, but it was ultimately abandoned by Arenas. A search for any direct connection between Arenas and marijuana-related businesses between leaving the WNBA and his 2023 arrest yields no results.
In 2011, Arenas filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Shed Media over the use of his name and likeness in the VH1 reality show, Basketball Wives: Los Angeles. He accused Laura Govan, his former partner and the show's cast member, of misappropriating and diluting the value of his NIL and marks, which included "Gilbert J. Arenas, Jr.", "Gilbert Arenas", and "Gil Arenas". The lawsuit was dismissed, and Arenas was ultimately responsible for paying Shed Media $32,618 in attorneys' fees, according to court records.
Arenas' co-defendants in the recent gambling charges include Yevgeni Gershman, an Israeli who the federal government has called a "suspected organized crime figure." After being taken into custody by FBI agents, Arenas was released on a $50,000 bond.
However, a video of Arenas taking a hit off a blunt on his podcast Gil's Arena went viral in 2023. Arenas' criminal defense attorneys did not respond to emails from Sportico seeking comment.
Despite the recent legal troubles, it's worth noting that the biographical information listed for the applicant of the "Most Wanted" trademark application closely aligns with Arenas' own. The public will have to wait and see how these developments unfold.
