Perhaps making us rethinking the old adage about only a fool having himself for a client, Wizards SG Gilbert Arenas made like Trouble Funk and dropped the following bomb last night, as recounted by the Post’s Ivan Carter.

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said last night that he will opt out of his contract after next season and become a free agent.

Arenas, who signed a six-year, $65 million contract in the summer of 2003, said his decision is based on family and business concerns rather than feelings about the direction in which the Wizards are headed as an organization.

“To me, it’s just a smarter business decision to play next season, opt out and then be able to sign a long-term deal that is going to keep me in one place,” said Arenas, who is recovering from left knee surgery and expects to be at full speed in time for training camp in October. “I’m not looking at anything else. It’s just business. If something happens where they don’t want me or they’re going in a different direction, I can look elsewhere. But my intentions are not to leave.”

Arenas also said he does not plan on hiring an agent. He parted ways with agent Dan Fegan last summer.

“I don’t need an agent,” Arenas said. “I can do all of this research myself.”

According to the collective bargaining agreement, the most the Wizards could offer Arenas this summer is a three-year extension worth between $60 million and $70 million, but the deal wouldn’t kick in until his original contract expires following the 2008-09 season.

Carter correctly points out that while Arenas will be eligible for a max deal, only the Wizards can offer him a contract longer than 5 years.

For the New York Post’s Peter Vescey, there’s no day of rest when it comes to mocking Larry Hughes’ chances against Tony Parker.

With all due disrespect to Larry Hughes (a gambler on defense when fully healthy but a mark man-to-man), Parker could be the one suffering from plantar fascitis and still beat him off the dribble for an easy layup. Outside of a Michael Johnson beer commercial, is there anybody on two feet who can impede Parker™s infiltration? Now you see him, now you see his assets and elbows.

Game 1 earned the lowest ever opening Finals-game TV numbers: a 6.3 rating and an 11 share. Jerry Buss scored higher when he was pulled over for driving against traffic.

In addition to floating a rumor of the Celtics swapping the no. 5 overall pick for the Suns’ Shawn Marion, the Boston Globe’s Shira Springer provides ample proof why you’ve got to be very careful when hiring a motivational speaker.

When Qatar needed a great basketball mind to motivate its men’s national team before facing the Chinese team for the 2006 Asian Games championship, it called upon none other than Celtics general manager Chris Wallace. Giving what he called his best “Lou Holtz/Jimmy Johnson college football speech,” Wallace addressed the Qatar team. “I told them, ‘You’re going to win this game, you can win it, you’re prepared,’ ” said Wallace. “I told them to capture the moment, all those coaching clichés I’ve seen watching halftime speeches. To make the point that anything’s possible, that there is no team that is an insurmountable power, I used the American adage that the Chinese players put their pants on one leg at a time, everybody’s human, everybody’s beatable, everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time.” With those words, a confused looked crossed the faces of the players. “One player stepped forward and said, ‘But in Qatar, we wear robes, and you have to put your robe on both legs at a time. You can’t put them on one leg at a time,’ “ recalled Wallace. “I had no retort. I was speechless for the first time in my life. I ended the speech at that point.” China defeated Qatar for the title, 59-44.