For Arenas and Butler, Game Is a Landmark

Gilbert Arenas is making his first all-star appearance as a starter. "I've done well for myself, haven't I?" he asked. (By Kevork Djansezian -- Associated Press)

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 16 -- When LeBron James walked past a media scrum surrounding Gilbert Arenas at the Palms hotel Friday afternoon, the Cavaliers star acknowledged his rival and Eastern Conference all-star teammate with a nod.

"Hey," Arenas yelled. "I need all the media I can get."

Reveling in the attention coming his way, Arenas reminded everyone within earshot that when he attended his first All-Star Weekend media day during the 2004-05 season, a small group of about nine reporters gathered to hear him speak.

"I've done well for myself, haven't I?" said Arenas, who drew about 40 reporters Friday. He is making his third all-star appearance overall and first as a starter.

So has his Wizards teammate, forward Caron Butler, who said he felt the need to pinch himself just to be sure that he was really sitting in a conference room at the NBA's marquee midseason event fielding questions from media representing markets around the world.

"I'm the definition of happy right now," said Butler, who celebrated his first all-star appearance by flying 19 family members from his home town of Racine, Wis., to Las Vegas. "It's just a nice feeling looking around seeing Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan -- guys like that and knowing that I'm here in the same room. It's like a dream come true."

Arenas and Butler are joined in Las Vegas by Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan, who will lead the East all-stars on Sunday, and by members of Jordan's staff, including Mike O'Koren, who coached the second-year players in Friday night's Rookies-Sophomores game.

The weekend is especially sweet for Butler, who was married at the Bellagio two years ago. Butler and his wife, Andrea, planned to visit the hotel again Friday night to soak up some warm memories.

"Las Vegas has been good to me," said Butler, who considered playing college basketball at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas before accepting a scholarship from Connecticut. "It's kind of fitting that I'm making my first all-star appearance here, in this city. I hope they get a team here one day because I wouldn't mind making that trip every year."

Arenas brought some extra attention Butler's way when he led the pack of reporters surrounding him over toward Butler's table.

"Say hello to Caron Butler everyone," Arenas declared. "It's his first all-star game. He deserves some love."

Among the Arenas and Butler highlights on media day: