Star Wizards guard benched without pay
Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, one of the most bankable stars in the NBA, was suspended indefinitely Wednesday for his ongoing “jokes” about a Dec. 21 gun-flashing incident in the team’s locker room.
“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” league Commissioner David Stern said in a statement on NBA.com. “Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”
Stern’s statement also hinted that Arenas’ NBA future is in doubt as the U.S. Attorney’s office and the league continue their probe into the gun incident.
Prosecutors will be bringing team staff who were in the locker room on Dec. 21 before the grand jury after the team returns from its road trip — possibly as early as the end of the week, one law enforcement source told The Examiner.
The man dubbed Agent Zero could be charged with felony weapons crimes, which carry up to five years in prison for each offense.
Arenas had rushed to get ahead of the emerging scandal, meeting with police and prosecutors on Monday and issuing a public apology for what he called “bad judgment.” But he continued to make cheeky tweets about the incident. Before Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia, he mockingly pretended to shoot his teammates during warm-ups.
So instead of heading off the scandal, he now finds himself buried deeper in it. The new suspension will cost him millions. He’s one of the highest-paid players in the NBA and is scheduled to make $16.2 million this year. He had also been an emerging star for endorsements, hawking vitamin water and sneakers.
His conduct jeopardizes his entire lucrative brand, Vermont Law School Professor Michael McCann told The Examiner.
“There’s no real upside here,” said McCann, who specializes in sports law. “There’s nothing really appealing about his behavior.”
Arenas claimed that he moved the four weapons to his Verizon Center locker to keep them away from his young children. But they came out Dec. 21, reportedly after a heated dispute with Javaris Crittenton over a card game on a team flight. Crittenton reportedly threatened to shoot Arenas in the leg. Two days later, Crittenton came back to his locker to find at least three guns on a nearby chair, with a note taped to them that read “Pick One.”
This isn’t Arenas’ first brush with the law. In 2003, he was arrested after California police found a handgun in the back seat of his vehicle and ammunition in the glove box.
Arenas issued a new apology Wednesday, saying he understood why the league had suspended him.
“I put the NBA in a negative light and let down my teammates and our fans,” he said.
The Wizards issued a statement applauding Arenas’ suspension and chastising teammates for laughing along with Arenas.
“Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior,” the statement said, “and we have no intention of ever doing so.”
