On media day, guard has beard, somber tone
When it came time for Gilbert Arenas’ first appearance of the new season, NBA commissioner David Stern didn’t even need to strongly advise not talking about his 50-game suspension.
The Wizards made sure Arenas barely had the chance, whisking him away from his media day news conference on Monday after only 3 minutes, 12 seconds of availability.
But on a day that also included the team’s introduction of this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick John Wall, the mercurial veteran point guard still made a lasting impression with his bushy full beard, bloodshot eyes, somber tone and grinless outlook.
“The only place I want to smile is on the court,” said Arenas, who traded in his No. 0 jersey for No. 9 as he enters his 10th NBA season. “That’s what my job is. That’s where my love is. That’s the only time I need to smile now … I’m very happy. In the past I used to show my happiness on the outside. There’s no need to do that anymore. I can just play the game the right way, play with my passion, and that’s what I need to focus on.”
It’s difficult to say if Arenas can maintain that posture for long — he intended to boycott the media last year but quickly caved when fines started coming his way.
“I don’t know if that’s a front or not,” Wizards forward Al Thornton said. “When we’re playing pick-up and in the locker room, he’s been joking and seemed cool, approachable.”
Wizards head coach Flip Saunders, who emerged on the Verizon Center practice court the moment Arenas disappeared, compared his backcourt duo with Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas but also said the media doesn’t make it easy for the 28-year-old Arenas.
“I don’t think he’s going to be maybe as loose as he’s been in the past,” Saunders said.
Before he departed, The Washington Examiner asked Arenas about his relationship with the Wizards franchise after it purged his likeness from Verizon Center last winter.
“It’s a great relationship,” said Arenas, who also sported Nike shoes after Adidas dropped him as a sponsor last spring. “It’s still a business. Any product you own, if something happens to it, you gotta do what you gotta do to save your company. I understand it, and now we just gotta move forward.”
