Gilbert Arenas #1 of the Orlando Magic rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 26, 2011 at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. AFP FILE PHOTO
BEIJING – Former NBA All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas injured himself in his Chinese Basketball Association debut as his Shanghai Sharks lost to the defending champion Beijing Ducks 94-78.
Arenas, who signed with the Yao Ming-owned Sharks last week, limped off the court halfway through the first quarter of Saturday night’s opening game of the 2012-2013 season and sat out the rest of the match.
“He pulled a hip flexor (muscle), he will be day-to-day … obviously we would like to have him back as soon as possible,” Shanghai’s American coach Dan Panaggio told reporters.
“I didn’t expect this, but this is sports, this is basketball, the craziest things happen.”
Team officials said Arenas could be out for up to seven days.
When signing with Shanghai, Arenas joined several other former US National Basketball Association stars in the CBA, including Beijing’s Stephon Marbury and Tracy McGrady, who plays for the Qingdao Eagles.
Marbury scored 16 points and dished out eight assists in the win that was broadcast nationwide. Before the match, championship rings were handed out to the Beijing players for winning last season’s CBA title.
Nicknamed “Agent Zero,” Arenas, 30, a three-time NBA All Star signed with Shanghai in a reported $700,000, one-year deal. Last season he played with the NBA Memphis Grizzlies.