Former NBA players Gilbert Arenas and Rashad McCants worked together on Gil’s Arena for a few years before Underdog cut its funding. While the show is no longer associated with Underdog, it will resume eventually. However, Arenas and McCants have recently had a falling-out, meaning the latter will no longer appear on the show.
Why Gilbert Arenas & Rashad McCants Are No Longer Talking
Arenas recently appeared on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast “7PM in Brooklyn,” where he explained that McCants was no longer on the show because he was siding with someone who was trying to get rid of “Gil’s Arena.”
“(McCants) kept shouting out the dude’s name that was tanking our show,” Arenas said. “…The dude did nothing for you, dog. Your deal was done before he got here. First of all, real talk, he tried to fire you at the beginning of the season… So what they did was like, ‘Aight, well, Joe and Gil ain’t breaking. Hey Rashad, you want to go (talk) football? Hey, come on to football on Friday! Do a little football!’ So he gonna jump on the football.”
Arenas said McCants jumped ship to discuss football on a different show with Skip Bayless, which didn’t sit right with Arenas because the one orchestrating it was allegedly trying to bring down ‘Gil’s Arena.’
“But I’m like, ‘Dude never did anything. I told you we had beef with him, we at war. He’s trying to take over ‘Gil’s Arena.’ So you giving him shoutouts, three of ’em, I’m like alright. I told you we’re beefing with him.’ … It ain’t Underdog… they just hired a dude…(McCants) kept shouting this dude out. I was like, ‘Alright, okay, y’all got something going on. He done promised you something. Alright, bet.'”
Arenas concluded by saying there was no problem between them before this happened, and it’s only this most recent issue that’s caused it.
“Me and ‘Shad didn’t have no problems. Like what he did is what he did… but why are you picking him over us? … If it was Underdog giving him a better position and saying, ‘We want you as a star,’ cool! The (expletive) you did for four years, you deserve your own show and all this. That’s understandable, but I told you I have a problem,” he said.
“Me and Joe, he’s trying to fire us. He’s trying to fire you. We’re beefing because of you, technically, because we’re not letting what was going down go down. We’re not integrating. This was a player podcast. We’re standing down for you, so for you to pick his side, that became the problem,” Arenas added.
Gilbert Arenas explains what went down with Gil’s Arena and what’s next for the show 👀 pic.twitter.com/mq4cMlVAy1
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) July 22, 2026
McCants, who has given PFSN the professional courtesy of an exclusive interview this year, had this to say in response to Arenas’ appearance on the podcast via his X account, writing, “Ayyyyoooo (7PM in Brooklyn) I’ll tell yall what….. Ball up top!!!! If it sound like a lie… it’s a lie…. Bring me on the show to clear it up. I got receipts.”
Ayyyyoooo @7PMinBrooklyn I’ll tell yall what….. Ball up top!!!! If it sound like a lie… it’s a lie…. Bring me on the show to clear it up. I got receipts. 🤷🏽♂️😂😂😂
— Rashad McCants (@SoundbiteKing) July 22, 2026
Arenas’ point is valid because he gave McCants a voice through “Gil’s Arena,” as he did with other former NBA veterans who spoke their minds about what was going on in the league. It makes sense if he values that kind of loyalty.
However, McCants deserves a chance to explain himself. There are always two sides to the story. What he describes here might not be what happened, but his interpretation of the events. From what McCants makes it sound like, there are other details yet to be revealed.
The plot is sure to thicken if and when McCants gives his version of events.
