Gilbert Arenas on NBA Live 08 Cover  

It's now official: Gilbert Arenas has been selected by EA Sports to be on the cover of the upcoming NBA Live 08. I think what convinced them to choose Arenas for next year's installment of the franchise series is the combination of the current Washington Wizard's superb performance all season long and the story of how he turned adversity around and got to where he is now.

Gilbert Arenas has been out of this world prior to his injury very late into the season: pulling up for jumpers from way out, shooting over opponents, making shots at the buzzer and being confident enough to turn around and celebrate even before the ball touches the net. He's a gifted athlete, there's no doubt about it, but what's more astounding is the work ethics he's so much praised for.

Let me pose this question: what happens when you close gym doors on an already physically-gifted athlete? The answer: you get someone like Arenas. He already knows he's got what it takes physically to go head-to-head with other NBA players, but still he chooses to practice early, stay late, shoot more baskets, and in sum, work more. That's the difference between him and other aspiring superstars: he's so dedicated everything levels up for him.

And not only that, his life story, all that has happened prior to him making it big in the NBA, it truly is an inspiration to young players today. It is a story of facing the adversity of people not believing in you, and the story of overcoming the adversity and rise, not above the expectations, but above the limits set by others for you.

All this, I believe, justifies that face on the cover of NBA Live 08. That's a face with a story to tell, and that's a game that needs to sell.

What do you think? Do you think he deserves it? Or do you have other suggestions?