In the wake of his arrest for allegedly operating high-stakes illegal poker games at a Los Angeles mansion, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas has opened up about the surreal moments he shared behind bars, in the same holding cell as several suspected organized crime figures.
Arenas, 43, was arrested on July 30, 2025, alongside five other defendants, including Yevgeni Gershman, a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational crime group. The charges stem from a federal indictment alleging the group ran an illegal gambling operation out of an Encino mansion owned by Arenas.
According to Arenas, the group was placed in the same holding cell, where they spent hours trying to contact their lawyers.
“It was like a scene out of a movie,” Arenas reportedly said. “We’re all sitting there, phones in hand, trying to get through to our attorneys. Nobody’s talking about the charges, we’re just trying to figure out what’s next.”
Arenas has insisted he was merely the property owner and not involved in the day-to-day operations of the poker ring.
“This ain’t got shyt to do with me,” he posted on social media, dancing down the courthouse steps after posting bail. “Just rented the house. Wasn’t a part.”
Still, prosecutors allege that Arenas not only rented the mansion but also had a custom poker table made with “ARENAS POKER CLUB” branding. The indictment details a sophisticated setup involving chefs, valets, armed security, and young women hired to serve drinks and provide massages during the games.
Inside the cell, Arenas described a tense but oddly cooperative atmosphere.
“We weren’t enemies, we were co-defendants,” he said. “Everyone was just trying to figure out how to get out and what the next move was. It was quiet, focused. No drama. Just lawyers on speed dial.”
Arenas and the other defendants face multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and making false statements to federal investigators. If convicted, each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
For now, Arenas is back on the streets, but the case is far from over. And as he tells it, his brief stint in a cell with alleged crime figures was less about fear and more about strategy, survival, and a whole lot of legal hustle.
Gilbert Arenas describes being in a cell with the suspected crime figures while they were all in the cell together trying to get in contact with their lawyerspic.twitter.com/mCQJjq6jy3
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) August 1, 2025
Gilbert Arenas out on bail, fresh out of jail back to the same ole Gil 😂
Said one of the officers who arrested him is a guy he used to play against, wishes his co-d’s good luck but thinks they’re cooked 😂 pic.twitter.com/kPwz2HYAcI
— Phella (@iamphella) August 1, 2025
