Gilbert Arenas during the Adidas presscon at the Manila Peninsula Saturday night

Point guard Gilbert Arenas, who just agreed to sign a $111-million, six-year contract to  play for the Washington Wizards again, is hoping everybody is going to have fun when the first round battle between the La Salle Green Archers and the Ateneo Blue Eagles get going at 4 p.m. on Sunday in the 71st UAAP men's basketball tournament at the Big Dome.

Arenas shared his thoughts on the age-old rivalry between the schools a few hours after in Manila following a tour in Beijing.

Here on a four-day visit called adidas Agent Zero Tour 2008, said the ongoing rivary between the Green Archers and the Blue Eagles should bring out the best in both teams.

"Rivalries are actually good. You know, it brings out the best in players, it brings out the best in teams. The crowd is going to be excited. The kids are going to be nervous when they play against each other. But, you know, at the end of the day, its just basketball," said Arenas.

He made this statement during a press conference held Saturday evening, July 5, at one of the second floor function rooms of the Manila Peninsula in Makati City.

"Go out there and have fun. Just go out there, play hard in the spirit of good rivalry," remarked Arenas to the players of both teams. The basketball teams of both schools are adidas-supported teams.  Adidas has an exclusive right to manufacture and sell La Salle and Ateneo branded apparel.

Arenas will be scheduled to visit the locker rooms of both teams on Sunday come halftime to give a brief inspirational talk.

The primary reason for his visit to Manila is to promote his newly-unveiled own line of shoes known as the Gil II Zero collection.

After visiting the adidas concept stores at the Mall of Asia, Rockwell Power Plant and Trinoma Sunday, he will also turn over a basketball court to a Gawad Kalinga community as part of adidas' mission to promote the sport to the youth.

Before he left the United States, the three-time member of the National Basketball Association  all-star teams told the Washington Post that he agreed to a six-year, $111 million deal with the Wizards.

He agreed to sign a deal with owner Abe Pollin and team president Ernie Grunfeld two days after Arenas was offered six-year contract which was  worth between $125 million and $127 million, which was said to be the maximum allowable for a player with seven years of NBA service under the league's collective bargaining agreement.

Arenas said yes to the deal after the Wizards took in  all-star forwards Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, whom experts said are  the kind of talent the teams after last winning their first title since 1978.

Arenas will officially sign a contract with the Wizards when he gets back from the adidas Tour. when the league's one-week moratorium on free agent signings concludes. Contract specifics still must be ironed out after the league releases salary cap and luxury tax figures for the upcoming season next week.

According to the Washington Post, had he signed for the maximum, Arenas would have owned the second-largest contract signed by a player since 1999. Kobe Bryant signed a deal worth $136.4 million with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.