When I exchanged greetings with Gilbert Arenas after practice earlier today — nothing more than each of us saying, “What’s up,” — I didn’t think it was too big of a deal, despite the brouhaha last week with Arenas and the Wizards each getting fined $25,000 because he wasn’t speaking with the media. I just thought I’d say hello, as I missed last week for the birth of my second child (cigars all around!). I don’t have a strong relationship with Arenas, yet, given this is my first season covering the Wiz.
But as it was pointed out to me after Arenas had come and gone, it was as casually cordial as he had been since the opening of training camp. It stunned me, and led to this idea: Man, it’s got to be hard to say no day after day. That’s the burden Arenas placed on himself at media day when he promised to not talk again to the press until media day next season. It’s got to be difficult to turn away reporter after reporter in every new city — not to mention, night after night in Washington — and it would seem that developing some angst toward said reporters as a means to keep that wall up is bound to happen.
And, of course, it did, when he used the word ‘lazy’ to describe reporters in his forced session with them on Friday. I don’t think it’s necessary to get into the validity of that remark. But I can see where he’s coming from, given the volume and diversity of media content — quotes and otherwise – that he’s generated over his tenure in Washington.
The point I hope to make to Arenas as I get to know him this winter is that I whole-heartedly respect that he wants to make it solely about the basketball. It will be difficult to do that, given his history. But it’s got to be far more difficult for him to maintain the all-business-speak and keep reporters at an arm’s length. Building and maintaining a wall like that has to be at least as difficult and taxing as playing the game itself. Okay, maybe not quite, but we’re not worth that much effort, anyway.
And seriously, the “entertainer” stuff isn’t the only thing reporters want to hear about. Not even close. Yes, it makes for great copy. Who can resist it? But we know that Arenas lives and breathes basketball, and there’s tons in his head that we’d love to learn and hear about from him simply regarding the game that he plays and loves. In fact, his rant on what it means to be a pure point guard was perhaps the most intriguing part of his media day interview. And should he put up the numbers he’s expected to in Flip Saunders‘ system, it’s virtually a lock that the conversation will at least always start with the basketball.
The only way it won’t remain there is if Arenas spends too much time reminding reporters that he doesn’t want to talk to them. Here’s hoping he doesn’t.
