Cheers & Jeers » Arenas unveiled: the whole ball of wax

POSTED November 20, 2008 | 11:55 PM

It’s surely been said of the Wizards’ star and singular personality, Gilbert Arenas, that “they threw away the mold.”

Wednesday at Madame Tussauds, however, the D.C. wax museum demonstrated that it can re-create a true original, unveiling a life-size likeness of the All-Star.

Arenas is the third basketball player Tussauds has immortalized. The others are Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan. A likeness of 7-foot-6 Yao Ming, bound for the Madame Tussauds in Beijing, is under construction.

“I was like ‘Why me?’ I haven’t done anything special to be the third,” said Arenas. “It’s an honor. It’s unbelievable. They said, ‘The fans picked you.’”

Last summer, Arenas sat for two hours while photographs and more than 200 measurements were taken. A clay sculpture was produced in London. From that, a cast is made and wax is poured in.

Now Arenas is among statues of figures such as Winston Churchill, Thomas Jefferson, George Clooney, the Jonas Brothers and Barack Obama (yes, already).

“We want our attraction in D.C. to represent the city’s culture and history,” said Shameka Lloyd, a marketing manager with Madame Tussauds. “What better way to do that than with a launch of a great sports figure."