Wizards to honor Arenas, Butler and Jamison originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Wizards are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their rebrand from ‘Bullets’ to ‘Wizards’ this season, so it was only right to get together the three players who treated fans to one of the most exciting teams in the NBA in the mid-2000s.
On Nov. 18 at their home game against the Miami Heat, the Wizards will reunite Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison during a halftime ceremony at Capital One Arena. Butler currently serves as an assistant coach for the Heat.
25th anniversary wouldn’t be complete without The Big 3 💙
On November 18th, The Big 3 are BACK. Read more about the celebration ⬇️
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 26, 2022
Arenas, Butler and Jamison played together from the 2005-06 season until 2009-10. They led the Wizards to three consecutive playoff appearances and were annually one of the highest-scoring trios in the league.
Those days are fondly remembered for Arenas’ big scoring nights and late-game heroics. He sank buzzer-beaters to lift the Wizards over the Bucks and Jazz in the regular season and the Bulls in the playoffs. He scored a franchise-record 60 points at the Staples Center opposite Kobe Bryant in 2006.
“Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Wizards brand wouldn’t be complete without honoring the contributions of ‘The Big Three’ and having them all together on the same night makes it even more special,” Wizards president Tommy Sheppard said. “Gilbert, Caron and Antawn represent a definitive era for the franchise and they deserve to be recognized for the excitement they generated on the court and the impact they had in our community, both of which led to a new generation of Wizards fans.”Nov. 18 will also feature a hat designed by Jamison given away to the first 10,000 fans in attendance. There is also a postgame concert scheduled with R&B artist Teddy Riley.
The Wizards have not brought Arenas, Butler and Jamison back together at a game since the roster was dismantled to begin their rebuild, which preceded the John Wall and Bradley Beal area. It should be a night of good memories, especially for Wizards fans who were actively following the team during those days.
