Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other? Allow me to figuratively hang myself (UPDATED WITH ARENAS REACTION)
by Mike Prada on Jan 1, 2010 1:54 PM EST
in Agent Zeroisms
97 comments
If we're going by stages of grief, I'm still in the denial stage when it comes to the latest news about Gilbert Arenas. I mean, really? Pulling guns? This is so "holy crap" bad if true that it's almost impossible to conceive.
We already have a FanShot about this, but here are some excerpts from the stories.
An NBA investigation into Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas’(notes) possession of guns inside the team’s locker room has been linked to a confrontation with teammate Javaris Crittenton(notes), multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The league’s ongoing probe hopes to determine whether Arenas had accessed any of his unloaded firearms while engaged in the dispute prior to a team practice at the Verizon Center on Dec. 21 in Washington. Tensions between Arenas and Crittenton escalated because of a festering disagreement between the two players, sources said.
The duel in DC -- unprecedented in sports history -- was sparked when Critten ton became enraged at the vet eran guard for refusing to make good on a gambling debt, a source said.
"I'm not your punk!" Crittenton shouted at Arenas, according to a league source close to the Wizards.
That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources said.
Should he be convicted and receive prison time, he likely would have his contract voided because every NBA player has a clause in their deal that allows the team to void a contract over breech of contract.
UPDATE: Michael Lee tracked down Arenas and tweets that Arenas is considering filing a lawsuit against the New York Post because the story isn't true, according to him.
I grabbed Arenas after practice. He told me he is considering filing a lawsuit against the NY Post. "That's not the real story," he said.
UPDATE: Gil, who is apparently Tweeting now, wrote this:
i wake up this morning and seen i was the new JOHN WAYNE..lmao media is too funny
UPDATE From Rook:
I just want to caution everyone to let this story come out naturally. Quick judgements and rash presumptions are the purvue of tabloid journalism; and I hope we here in the BulletsForever community can stay above that muck.
In this day of shrinking newspaper coverage, blogs, web news sources and instant coverage; sometimes things are put out there prematurely - before all the pertinent facts are known. Even in the "olden" days, when newspapers were king and big market Local TV news crews had dozens of reporters, the news was triple checked... and all the facts were verified before anything was reported; even then, they got things wrong sometimes.
I am always leery of "facts" as relayed by sources close to the team, or unnamed league sources; especially when those facts seem to be as fantastic as these seem to be. Teammates pointing guns at each other in the Locker room? Gambling disputes? And all of this happened more than a week ago? But we hear nothing until today?
I think we should hold off talk about "trading" Arenas, voiding his contract, or putting him in jail, etc.... until we hear from someone with enough courage to go on record. If they're credible, and if the League or the DC Police find enough evidence to warrant action - then we can worry about what the team will do next. In the mean time, Gilbert Arenas deserves to be what is every other citizen's right: Innocent until proven guilty.
UPDATE from Chris Miller at CSNWashington.com (via Rook):
Chris Miller is reporting that Arenas did not point a gun at Crittenton and that Crittenton himself did not have a weapon. Miller has confirmed a Yahoo! Sports report that an incident between the players occurred before practice on December 21 and that the disagreement was over a bet.
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If Arenas is convicted of a gun crime
the Wizards might be in a position to void his contract.
Every NBA player has clauses in their contract against things like dangerous off-court activities (like the Monta Ellis moped accident), criminal activities, etc…
Breaking any one of those contractural obligations is grounds for breach of contract.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
Bright Side
We are going to look at today and realize it was our greatest blessing as bullets fan. With Arenas’s contract voided, hopefully, Jamison and Caron traded we can tank the next two seasons, bring Durant back to DC in 2011, and hopefully make good draft decisions to complement Kevin.
Well, I guess Gilbert doesn't think it's a big deal
from his twitter:
gilbertarenas i wake up this morning and seen i was the new JOHN WAYNE..lmao media is too funny
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
This story is just too ridiculous to believe.
You beat me to the Twitter post Rook. It’s just so out there that I can’t fathom this.
Sometimes I think I have a "wait and see" attitude about too many things
because that’s how I feel about this. I’m a bit skeptical of the NY Post article because it relies so much on Crittenton’s buddy to tell what happened. But, as Mike Jones wrote, this had to have been serious enough for the league office to get involved. I dunno, I want to hear at least one more update/confirmation before I start panicking.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
this is crazy
poor jamison and butler. they are the ultimate professionals, and they have to put up with this garbage.
by John Park Williams on Jan 1, 2010 2:26 PM EST reply actions
again
something much different from what you normally hear on this site. thank you!
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 2:41 PM EST up reply actions
This has to be a joke right?
Everytime I think that things can’t get any worse they do. Great
by ooba on Jan 1, 2010 2:31 PM EST via mobile reply actions
If there's any "upside" to this..
It’s that this happened just prior to 2010 free agent bonanza – the biggest free agent market in NBA history. (Ok, that may be an exaggeration – but it’s big.)
If they void Arenas’ contract, they’ll free up lots of dough for free agent acquisitions.
No it won't
Because the Wizards are still well over the salary cap even if Arenas’ contract gets voided.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Well, then we're really screwed
Because Arenas is untradeable. The Wizards would sooner keep him than trade him for what little they could get at this point. No franchise in the league would let a player of that caliber go for nothing.
if the espn report was true
they already tried, and got shot down. (sorry for the pun)
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
I mean they'll keep trying
I figure someone will take him for something at some point.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
i thought the only other contract
was stevensons?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 2:45 PM EST up reply actions
And I'd have to think
He could go in a throw-in with one of the big three. But it’s a crazy conversation to have, because the odds of Gil getting voided are hovering around 300 to one.
Well yeah
If Butler and Jamison get traded and all the expirings go, we will have cap room most likely. The only other contracts we have that extend past 2010 are Stevenson, Blatche and the guys on rookie deals (McGee, Nick). But that assumes a) Butler/Jamison do get traded and b) Butler/Jamison get dealt for contracts that expire in 2010.
Here’s a look at our salary situation.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
The question becomes, what's the owner's take on the salary cap?
Is getting under the cap their goal? If so, then it makes a trade that much more likely. If you want to shave salaries, then you have to expect to not get equal value in return.
Really?
If we lose Gil, and trade for one big expiring, we have tons of room, no?
You're right, I stand corrected
We have only $33 million or so in salary, but it’s tied up in only six players, so it’d be tough to fill out the roster.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Would be nice
But the likelihood of all those things coming together in time to be players in that is pretty low. Jamison and Butler would have to go too. If this is true and Gil’s contract does wind up being voided, it’s gonna be in plain sight to everyone that it’s time to start over. I think Ernie wants to anyway.
@MrMichaelLee
I grabbed Arenas after practice. He told me he is considering filing a lawsuit against the NY Post. “That’s not the real story,” he said.
yeah
it’s that he wanted to get the gun away from his newborn, right?
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
If Arenas is telling the truth, then why did he say in that AP article that the investigation was about whether the guns were "dirty"?
Obviously, that’s not an “investigation”; they could find that out with a phone call (or less). Not to be too conspiracy-theoryish, but it sounds like an attempt to cover this up.
forgot about that lie too
two strikes gil
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 2:53 PM EST up reply actions
Another question I have..
Is whether Arenas only has two guns registered in his name. If so, then his story about removing guns from his home for his kids’ sake makes sense. If not, then it looks like another lie.
My question
If Crittenton also had a gun in his locker, why was the initial report that Arenas was being investigated for having a gun on league property, and not that Arenas + Crittenton were being investigated?
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Probably because no one thought to ask about Crittenton
If Crittenton admits that he had a gun in the locker room, too, then this story goes from very plausible to likely.
Remind me again
why i care about this team, or professional sports at all? this is incredibly disheartening.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Jan 1, 2010 3:17 PM EST reply actions
i feel better and worse
after watching that and remembering the good times
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on Jan 1, 2010 6:42 PM EST up reply actions
Check out the Wizard website
It has the word “character” postered with Gilbert’s image over it. If this story is true, Gilbert committed a felony. That’s not the type of character the organization is pursuing.
Just like sponsors are walking from Tiger, the Wiz ought to walk from Gilbert if the story is true. Certainly they would win any court case.
It’s likely Gilbert will receive an indictment – if there is any tangible evidence. He will then likely enter a plea to avoid any time.
It’s true the Wiz will wimp out on this one, but why? This behavior is unacceptable if true.
Correct me if I'm wrong
but isn’t simply CARRYING a weapon in DC illegal? I still don’t buy this whole Wyatt Earp story Vecsey put out, but it seems to me that Gilbert just HAVING the gun would break the law, as well as some league rules.
Wow! I thought it was bad to be us, but it would really hurt to be a Wiz fan? The rest of the NBA feels your pain. Wow! No wonder they were underacheiving all year. Time to blow the team up. You guys are gonna be the busiest team in the NBA before the trading deadline. The main problem is, who the heck is gonna take on that head case with that contract? Wow!…..
by Eschew Obfuscation on Jan 1, 2010 3:37 PM EST reply actions
New uniforms
I’m not sure how all of this is going to play out, but I just read the Wizards ordered new Kevlar uniforms!
Gilbert's denying it on twitter
I really really (more than I’ve hoped a lot of things) hope he’s being honest. I feel like I should take him at his word, especially with Chris Miller reporting that there was no showdown. It would be very hard to forgive him if he’s lying. I’d rather he stay silent if something did happen.
And if it didn’t, I hope Vescey and Wojinarski turn in their reporter cards and start selling coffee.
Re: the reporting
Peter Vescey is a great NBA reporter. He knows the consequences of getting a story like this wrong. I’m sure this was run by the NY Post’s lawyers many times. Vescey also reports rumors and innuendo, but calls them that.
The Post wouldn’t have run this story if it wasn’t confident that the facts were right. Now, does that mean it’s true? No. But this isn’t some 16-year-old’s website either. I’m sure Vescey was extremely careful, and the Post knows it could be liable for millions in damages if it got this story wrong.
I’d tend to believe him before I believe Gil’s denials, unfortunately. Arenas has always been a major flake, and his first instinct may well be to lie about the details. Remember that Mike Vick lied to Roger Goodell’s face about the dogfighting allegations.
Really, what are you talking about?
Neither Vecsey nor the Post pass any meaningful standard of journalistic integrity.
What the fuck?
Not really sure what else to say. If he did it, then I hope that he never suits up for us again. That said, innocent until proven guilty
by Manimal Smith on Jan 1, 2010 4:51 PM EST via mobile reply actions
greatest wizards story ever
I knew this team was messed up, but this tops everything. This and the Pollin passing give Grunfeld an excuse to shoot first and ask questions later, so to speak.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 1, 2010 5:45 PM EST reply actions
I agree with the post . . . We shouldn’t jump the gun and assume the worst. Better to hold your fire and wait for the smoke to clear . . .
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 1, 2010 6:09 PM EST up reply actions
I'm completely confused-
Well we have Yahoo/NY Post and then Comcast reporting completely different things. If the Comcast story is true – how the hell does the post and yahoo get away with printing something like that? That is so irresponsible.
Yahoo and NY Post reports are different
I haven’t read the Yahoo report since this morning, but I don’t recall them going nearly as far as the Post’s report. Yahoo hinted that perhaps Arenas’s guns were involved in the dispute with Crittendon and that it was being investigated, but they didn’t go nearly as far as saying guns were pointed at eachother like the Post reported. Maybe there’s something I missed though.
There definitely is a culture within our media that sees athletes, espcially NBA players, as thuggish and I find that often influences how stories are reported, factual or not.
by Johnnie Futbol on Jan 1, 2010 6:34 PM EST up reply actions
No you're right-
it’s the post story that is the most salacious
I can't believe we're actually believing this happened and nothing was said about it earlier.
I thought the BF community was way above this, but there is nothing out there that’s credible to lead me to believe this is truth.
gilbert arenas is blowing up twitter
with lengthy posts about the shaq incident and whatnot. kind of embarrassing. this is a sad day
I don't know -
I was assuming it was him but the first shaq twitter feed was fake so who knows at this point. I am actually glad he is talking – wish he was a bit more serious but when has he ever been?
Sounds fake
The statement “Thats why i made the first the first vid using his name he gave me the ok to do it” suggests that this is a post by somebody else.
I believe
Gilbert was referring to Shaq’s name in that tweet, when he asked Nick Young about following the Big Diesel on Twitter.
Bullets Forever: A blog dedicated to the Washington Wizards with analysis, commentary, and more YouTube videos than your eyes can handle.
by Jake Whitacre on Jan 1, 2010 11:45 PM EST up reply actions
Im sorry but the only thing the Wizards have is Arenas…
Take Arenas away and your looking at probably the worst team in the league next to the nets. I only see bad things in the future for this franchise.
I hate to say it, call me a bandwagon fan, I have watched the Bullets/Wizards for over 8 years and to be quite frank im tired of being a fan of a losing team. Depending on who Arenas is traded to I may prefer following Arenas’ new team than I do the Wizards.
truth is told. i think the main reason I followed the Wizards was because of Arenas.
Arenas is an average player at this point . . . at best. Replace him with Foye and Miller, when he’s healthy, and the Wiz will be going great guns . . .
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 1, 2010 6:28 PM EST up reply actions
If you look at this Leonsis-approved site, he’s actually below average.
http://dberri.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/explaining-the-disappointing-wizards/
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 1, 2010 6:31 PM EST up reply actions
Berri's dumb and wrong
Wages of Wins is a terribad way to evaluate players. Every league executive knows this.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
I’d be surprised if more than a handful of league executives had ever heard of Dave Berri.
by ReturnofBillyJOe on Jan 2, 2010 7:05 AM EST up reply actions
Ted Leonsis likes WOW-
He posted a link to it on Ted’s Take.
Hmm
Well that’s troubling. Berri’s way too dogmatic and way too silly in his evaluation of NBA players. Hopefully Ted looks closer at the other great data sites out there (82games, HoopData, etc).
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Hopefully
he hires an advanced stats guy……. to do his OWN evaluations…..
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
really, who cares? this is between those two and no crimes we committed. was anyone else affected? let it go already!
by les boulez bomber on Jan 1, 2010 6:28 PM EST reply actions
thug mentality, no wonder Baltimore and surorunding area has the highest crime rate in the country!
Ya no big deal waving guns around it’sa ll fun,, right?
by Eschew Obfuscation on Jan 1, 2010 7:24 PM EST up reply actions
thanks for that
The last I heard, the bay isn’t a picnic either
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laydODN6xVk
by hibachi on Jan 1, 2010 9:30 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
no crimes committed
what about posession?
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
I still don't understand why they'd pull guns on each other
That doesn’t mean it isn’t true. This whole thing is really wierd.
That would be classic
if the name was still the Bullets!!!!!
The Post story is pretty fishy
It seems pretty clear something happened 12/21 but the Post was reporting it happened Christmas Eve which is when the league got involved or had it’s involvement leaked. A small detail but it does not inspire confidence in me that this story is truly legit.
Washington Post Reporting
I’m waiting for a NEWS report from the Post – not an opinion piece from the self-righteous columnists…. I suspect that Michael Lee is doing his homework (and fact checking) and will have something in tomorrow’s paper…
arenas
cool. actually, if they did pull gins and each other and pulled the triggers, it would open up cap space and eliminate one (Arenas) overpaid underperforming zard. Maybe Ernie Grunfeld would be in the rom and get hit by a stray bullet and we would we also have the chance to get a real GM.
izman is right
wizards.com really needs to take that splash page down. i wonder what the game will be like tomorrow. i bet the marketing team is really hating that slogan right now.
by DarrellWalkerFan on Jan 1, 2010 11:33 PM EST reply actions
Who the hell are the unnamed sources
that the NY Post had that claimed that Arenas and Crittenton pulled guns on one another? That’s the thing that’s bugging me at the moment.
I really hope this turns out to be a load of bull. Because if it’s not then at this point I have to ask what the f*** else is going to happen to this franchise. One playoff series win in 27 years and we’ve had players eat themselves out of the league, guards with foot problems injuring themselves and never playing, our center getting hurt making a movie, two of our star players getting caught up with weed and a woman from Connecticut, some of the worst injury luck imaginable and some of the most rotten lottery luck any team could get.
WHY THE HELL DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO OUR TEAM! Washington is one of the greatest basketball towns in America, a city where a magical run into June would be meaningful and unifying for the city! And if could happen even once, then everyone would realize (as Bill Simmons mentioned in a column this week) exactly what a great hoops tradition that the District has.
"Would you like to shoot me now or wait till you get home." --- Daffy Duck
by George Templeton on Jan 2, 2010 12:02 AM EST reply actions
The full post story
Is that Arenas lost a bet to javaris on the flight home from a road trip.
The next day (the 21) it was reported , he would not pay the bet, and threatened
Javaris that he had a gun. Javaris replyed he was Arenas punk, and he his own gun.
Supposedly at the next practice, it was reported they fought again, and the guns were draw,
which indecently is the same day it was first reported Arenas had brought guns into the arena. All in all seems like a plausible story. Much more likely then the original reason Arenas has given for bringing the guns into arena which he knew was against policy.
Guns
Just goes to show, you can take the punk out of the hood, but you will never get the hood out of the punk. And we allow our kids to look up to these idiots!!
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