Gilbert Arenas blasts USC for parting ways with ‘best player’ Chad Baker-Mazara

Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas was not a fan of USC and Chad Baker-Mazara parting ways to begin the month of March. The Trojans announced Baker-Mazara was no longer a member of the team Sunday, although it is currently unclear what led to the dismissal.

Arenas went on a NSFW tirade on social media questioning the decision. He was even wearing Baker-Mazara’s No. 4 jersey in the video.

You can see it below and Arenas called for USC to apologize and bring the star player back. Baker-Mazara was the top scoring threat for the Trojans this year after transferring in from Auburn.

“Right before a tournament, this is what we doing,” Arenas said. “Our best player, ‘Mr. I Get Buckets.’ Every night. He brings it every night, guaranteed 18, 20 every night. I got my four on. I don’t know who he cussed out, but get over it. He’s right … When you the best player on the team, whatever you say, you right. If he says them, them (expletive) suck, he’s right. We watching the game. Give him the ball. Get the (expletive) out the way. That’s the offense. Damn. We supposed to be playing in the tournament, man. Now we gotta watch this junior varsity ass team playing by them God damn selves.”

Arenas son Alijah Arenas is currently a freshman on USC, hence Gilbert’s passion for the program this year. His son averages 13.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and shoots 34.1% from the floor.

The 6-foot-7 Baker-Mazara appeared is 26 games for the Trojans this season, averaging a team-leading 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He played as recently as Saturday’s 82-67 loss to Nebraska, scoring 14 points in 19 minutes of action, but refused to return after a hard foul early in the second half.

According to ESPN, Baker-Mazara left the floor early after getting fouled following a block of the Cornhuskers’ Pryce Sandfort. He reportedly told head coach Eric Musselman he couldn’t go back in and sat with injured USC star Rodney Rice in a section designated for fans and not at the end of the bench. Baker-Mazara was also noticeably absent from a 101-65 home loss to Illinois two weeks ago, not even sitting on the team bench while nursing a knee strain.

Of course, this wasn’t Baker-Mazara’s issue at USC, or with Musselman, who called out the sixth-year veteran after he inexplicably fouled out of a Jan. 21 game against Northwestern after just 14 minutes of action.

“I want to know how he fouls out,” Musselman said postgame. “And I’m not even disagreeing with the refs. I mean, that’s on Chad. He’s a sixth-year player. He’s got 14 points and he fouls out in 13 minutes. It’s unheard of.”

The timing of USC’s announcement is interesting with two games remaining in the regular-season for the Trojans (18-11, 7-11 Big Ten), who are in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Given its struggles of late, USC is currently considered a potential bubble team for the 2026 NCAA Tournament with upcoming games against Washington and rival UCLA ahead before the Big Ten Tournament in two weeks.

Alex Byington contributed to this report