Gilbert Arenas and Crittenton draw guns at each other in locker room

[teeoh owens]

Originally Posted by AddictedToFreshKicks

Originally Posted by Mr DragonFly Jones

Originally Posted by AddictedToFreshKicks

the exact reason why the NBA is a joke.

No it isn't.

You're right... maybe the refs fixing games is the reason why it's a joke.

 

[doublejs07]

One of the comments on a blog I was reading:

The interesting part of this story is going unreported. The issue involving Arenas and his teammate involved gambling debts. (Obviously, this was not about a hearts game that went bad.) In light of the number of free throws Arenas has missed in key situations, as well his and the team's erratic play, especially in the last game versus the Thunder game - the league ought to be very concerned about what is going on in Washington. Maybe the NBA can survive another episode of points shaving and fixed games? But if I were Commissioner Stern, I would not want to find out.


It's most likely far fetched, but it gets u thinking.....

 

[downtown43]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

One of the comments on a blog I was reading:

The interesting part of this story is going unreported. The issue involving Arenas and his teammate involved gambling debts. (Obviously, this was not about a hearts game that went bad.) In light of the number of free throws Arenas has missed in key situations, as well his and the team's erratic play, especially in the last game versus the Thunder game - the league ought to be very concerned about what is going on in Washington. Maybe the NBA can survive another episode of points shaving and fixed games? But if I were Commissioner Stern, I would not want to find out.

It's most likely far fetched, but it gets u thinking.....

i knew that dude was point-shaving.. Gilbert does notmiss FTs like that. and he kept turning it over in critical situations. if you want to make a case the evidence is there

 

[bigmike23]

i have said that twice in the NBA thread

he has missed WAY to many FT in the clutch

 

[doublejs07]

A whole new can of worms would be opened if it turns out that gambling implications were directly related to Gil playing in NBA games....

great stuff for conspiracy theorists

 

[da703trailblaza]

I used to always be annoyed that the Wiz NEVER got national attention and looks like we've finally got it, for all the wrong reasons though

I remember reading somewhere about Gil and someone else betting on clutch FTs maybe this part of the sotry does have legs

 

[duba169]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

One of the comments on a blog I was reading:

The interesting part of this story is going unreported. The issue involving Arenas and his teammate involved gambling debts. (Obviously, this was not about a hearts game that went bad.) In light of the number of free throws Arenas has missed in key situations, as well his and the team's erratic play, especially in the last game versus the Thunder game - the league ought to be very concerned about what is going on in Washington. Maybe the NBA can survive another episode of points shaving and fixed games? But if I were Commissioner Stern, I would not want to find out.

It's most likely far fetched, but it gets u thinking.....
i like a conspiracy as much as the next guy but i call bs. i mean he can live a couple lifetimes comfortably on a 100 mil contract.why gamble?seems like small potatoes

then again this situation shows that he's a moron, so who knows.

 

[kingjay718]

Well Gil has gone halves and quarters without taking a shot...

 

[flasheightzero]

 

[suprafly36]

So how long will it take for David Stern to give them the boot

 

[datdamndeuce]

It's !@!!## up some of yall are looking at this situation as being centered around his contract being voided (which would concurrently land him in jail)rather than looking at the seriousness of the matter. The contract, however large, is trivial when compared to a man's freedom, especially if he really wasjoking...

On another note, "I shoot you in your knee?"

 

[duba169]

why should we care about his freedom? he's an idiot

bring 3 guns and threaten a co-worker. tell me what happens next. don't forget to talk some nonsense on twitter. fans have every right to be thinking aboutvoiding his contract instead of making the "free gilbert" shirts

 

[jumpmantwenty3]

at "gun duel"

 

[quik1987]

They should go back to those bullets jerseys

 

[gangsta207therevolution]

Originally Posted by DubA169

why should we care about his freedom? he's an idiot

bring 3 guns and threaten a co-worker. tell me what happens next. don't forget to talk some nonsense on twitter. fans have every right to be thinking about voiding his contract instead of making the "free gilbert" shirts

If you cant accept another man making a mistake then you have some issues. Bottom line is he did something dumb. That resulted in no one personactually being harmed. Terminate his contract, Ban him from the NBA. Don't take away the mans freedom for something of that nature that although he canttalk about it he regrets.
Ok so Gilbert brought guns to work. Big mistake under the context of laws that infringe on 2nd amendment rights.

 

[eeibaby]

This is the most exciting thing Gil has done all year

 

[ddot7]

Originally Posted by quik1987

They should go back to those bullets jerseys

How'd you come up with that? Funniest thing I've read all year.

 

[youngcheezy]

[chris berman] Gilbert "guns in the" Arenas [/Chris Berman]

 

[duba169]

Originally Posted by gangsta207therevolution

Originally Posted by DubA169

why should we care about his freedom? he's an idiot

bring 3 guns and threaten a co-worker. tell me what happens next. don't forget to talk some nonsense on twitter. fans have every right to be thinking about voiding his contract instead of making the "free gilbert" shirts

If you cant accept another man making a mistake then you have some issues. Bottom line is he did something dumb. That resulted in no one person actually being harmed. Terminate his contract, Ban him from the NBA. Don't take away the mans freedom for something of that nature that although he cant talk about it he regrets.
Ok so Gilbert brought guns to work. Big mistake under the context of laws that infringe on 2nd amendment rights.

when people make a mistake after signing a 100 MILLION DOLLAR deal, i have no sympathy when the mistake involves them PULLING A GUN ON A TEAMMATEON PREMISES and it's consequently voided. he didn't get caught smoking a blunt or cheating on his wife he pulled out loaded freaking weapons.Idon't hope he goes to jail, but can understand why he may well end up there. this isn't a tiny mistake

the "nobody was harmed" angle is straight up ******ed. so if i bring a gun to school or work just to brandish but not use during an argument,that's cool with you?

 

[datdamndeuce]

Originally Posted by DubA169

Originally Posted by gangsta207therevolution

Originally Posted by DubA169

why should we care about his freedom? he's an idiot

bring 3 guns and threaten a co-worker. tell me what happens next. don't forget to talk some nonsense on twitter. fans have every right to be thinking about voiding his contract instead of making the "free gilbert" shirts

If you cant accept another man making a mistake then you have some issues. Bottom line is he did something dumb. That resulted in no one person actually being harmed. Terminate his contract, Ban him from the NBA. Don't take away the mans freedom for something of that nature that although he cant talk about it he regrets.
Ok so Gilbert brought guns to work. Big mistake under the context of laws that infringe on 2nd amendment rights.

when people make a mistake after signing a 100 MILLION DOLLAR deal, i have no sympathy when the mistake involves them PULLING A GUN ON A TEAMMATE ON PREMISES and it's consequently voided. he didn't get caught smoking a blunt or cheating on his wife he pulled out loaded freaking weapons.I don't hope he goes to jail, but can understand why he may well end up there. this isn't a tiny mistake

the "nobody was harmed" angle is straight up ******ed. so if i bring a gun to school or work just to brandish but not use during an argument, that's cool with you?

I must have read a different version of the story than you, because the version I read said that:

a) the guns weren't loaded
b) the guns weren't "pulled" on either player, rather Arenas placed guns in front of Crit's locker with a note that stated "PickOne" (an obvious joke to what Crit said about shooting Arenas"

We as humans make mistakes REGARDLESS of the amount of money we accrue...it's insane to think someone would gain better logic because their pockets arefatter...

 

[quik1987]

Originally Posted by ddot7

Originally Posted by quik1987

They should go back to those bullets jerseys

How'd you come up with that? Funniest thing I've read all year.

I figured someone already said it. But i wasn't trying to go through all the pages earlier. Great minds think alike?

 

[mitchellicious]

Sad, unfortunate and completely unnecessary. Gil was one of the best players in the league just a few years ago, now the guy is on a one way ticket toChumpsville.

 

[downtown43]

Neither Arenas nor Crittenton have addressed the reports in-depth. When Arenas was asked about it by ABC News affiliate WJLA, he said: "I like the story, it's intriguing."

this dude Gilbert

 

[physicx]

^typical

 

[bigmike23]

At the end of a lost road trip, aboard the Washington Wizards' charter flying from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Javaris Crittenton(notes) were two teammates playing Bourré, one of the most popular card games among NBA players. The game goes back to the 1980s and resembles something between Spades and Euchre. The pots rise rapidly and millions of NBA dollars have been won and lost on Bourré tables across North America.

As the league's most disappointed and fractured team watched a late night turn to early morning, a forgettable card game would end up with unforgettable consequences. All around Arenas, this had been a season of tension and turmoil, and now these Wizards couldn't close out a card game without drama. Arenas and Crittenton had contributed to much of the pot, and eventually the franchise's $111 million man infuriated the young player with sarcastic taunts and teasing.

More From Adrian Wojnarowski

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Arenas loves to needle, tweak, and still no one's sure the reasoning for his refusal to pay a debt that sources say reached into the tens of thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, Agent Zero's declaration delivered Crittenton into a rage: The payment plan was this: zero money down, zero money later.

Sources say Crittenton suggested Arenas could catch a beating for such belligerence, but "Gil could tell he was pushing Javaris' buttons," and that was too joyful for him to relent. Arenas is older, wittier and savvier than Crittenton. What would happen when the players returned for practice two days later on Dec. 21 is still a matter of some uncertainty. Whatever witnesses were in the locker room, including Arenas and Crittenton, have told friends and associates on the outside conflicting stories.

Some sources have described a practical joke gone awry, some have detailed a far darker, more frightening picture.

Here is the story that Crittenton and Arenas plan to tell police on Monday, sources said: When the Wizards returned to practice, Arenas unlocked three unloaded guns out of a strong box in his locker and laid them on a locker-room chair and instructed Crittenton to choose one. The Washington Post reported Crittenton had playfully threatened to shoot Arenas in his knee on the plane, and that offering him a gun to deliver the deed was a way of trying to diffuse the tension.

Only Crittenton, feeling belittled and bullied, tossed one of the guns to the floor in anger and the tone between the two players escalated again. One NBA executive, briefed on the investigation, said Saturday, "The law is going to start trying to isolate them. Once the entire interrogation starts, you have to wonder if the stories will start changing."

The New York Post reported in its Friday edition the two players drew weapons against each other. Sources say league attorneys discussed with NBA staff the possibility of Arenas brandishing a weapon in a threatening manner, but league officials hadn't dug deep enough to be sure, and ultimately are waiting for the U.S. Attorney's Office and D.C. police to conclude their investigation and make a decision on whether to bring charges.

Arenas has denied drawing his weapon on Crittenton and those who know him - even some with no apparent agenda to back him - have done so. Dan Fegan is one of the league's most influential player agents, but Arenas severed ties with him prior to negotiating his extension with the Wizards and a $30 million Adidas shoe deal.

"Gilbert Arenas did not point a gun at anyone," Fegan said Saturday. "I don't believe it. That's 100 percent inconsistent with the person that I've known. Gilbert is a born practical joker, and maybe this is a joke gone wrong … but there's no way he pointed a gun at a teammate."

No one's laughing among Wizards management, where jobs are on the line. And, assuredly, no one's laughing in the league office, where NBA commissioner David Stern is livid and forever sensitive to the public's profiling of his league as too gangster, too incapable of policing itself. Stern understands guns are an issue in his league, and some team executives will tell you they estimate 30 to 40 percent of their players probably bring guns into the locker room just like Arenas did with the Wizards.

Not only has Arenas denied he pointed the unloaded gun, he denies he was gambling. Still, sources insist Arenas is a relentless high-stakes gambler, that he loves the action of it. One league source told Yahoo! Sports he approximated Arenas had lost as much as $70,000 to $80,000 in an evening betting on PlayStation games against a friend of former teammate Donnell Taylor.

"The guy went out the next day, bought a real nice car in cash the next day and still had money left over. Gil gave him his money."

As for Crittenton, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, insisted his client never had a gun, and had done nothing to rise to the level of punishment. "I'm confident my client hasn't done anything wrong," Bartelstein said. "The fact will bear that out. It's unfortunate that rumors get going and inaccuracies come out before the facts are known, but all we can do is wait for the investigation to conclude.… Javaris will be exonerated of any wrong doing."

It's clear Arenas will try to use his charm and clownish antics as the cornerstone of his defense. Whatever legal issues could arise with the strict gun laws in D.C., there's still the matter of Stern's punishment. This story has engulfed the league, and several league office and team sources believe Stern will be harsh in his judgment no matter what the legal system decides to do. This could be a suspension that extends over months, possibly the rest of the season.

In a lot of ways, Arenas' return to the Wizards from microfracture knee surgery this season had been tumbling toward this bottom. He returned angry, isolated and unsure about his ability to be his old self. For a short time, Arenas tried to fit back into the lineup with prominent teammates Antawn Jamison(notes) and Caron Butler(notes).

Arenas barely talked to coach Flip Saunders in training camp. Sources say his trainer, Tim Grover, spent time in Richmond, Va., for training camp and became, in the words of one team witness, "a buffer" between the coach and star. After the team broke camp and returned to Washington, Arenas became increasingly belligerent and defiant of Saunders. Witnesses insist he began to purposely disrupt practices. Privately, Wizards executives were conceding to friends, "We've lost control of this thing."

Arenas has long had issues with authority. His relationship with past coach Eddie Jordan deteriorated over time. In fact, sources say Jordan often felt undermined by general manager Ernie Grunfeld when it came to Arenas. Jordan pushed Arenas to defend, to be a complete player, and never felt he got the backing he needed when Arenas grumbled to upper management. All that, and when Jordan needed a contract extension, it was Arenas who still lobbied management on Jordan's behalf to get it done.

Arenas has always been a contradiction, perfectly brilliant and perfectly maddening. Now, he's mostly a problem the Wizards don't know how to make go away, even if they wish they could.

Arenas' contract was untradeable before this incident and now it's an albatross of historic proportion. The best chance for getting out of the contract could be criminal charges and a conviction, but all that is so murky now.

The Wizards could void the contract and relieve themselves of the 4½ years and $90 million-plus left on it. Adidas is monitoring the case, too, and it must understand Agent Zero doesn't sell shoes the way he did two years ago. For now, the company is waiting to see what goes down in D.C. before it makes a decision on its deal with him and on their future together.

Arenas is trying to laugh his way out of something that isn't funny and isn't a joke to his franchise, to the NBA. Maybe Agent Zero tried to get one too many laughs, but whatever happened, however he tries to spin it now, the consequences promise to be immense for him. He has a story for law enforcement on Monday, and maybe it's the truth and they'll believe it. Eventually, he's going to New York for a most unforgiving judge and jury in Olympic Tower, for David Stern, and it will be a good, long time before Gilbert Arenas is back in the NBA.