NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton without pay for the rest of the season after both players brought guns into the Verizon Center during a Dec. 21 incident.
Arenas will end up serving a 50-game suspension. Crittenton has missed most of the season with a foot injury.
Here is Stern’s statement:
“The NBA has conducted a thorough investigation of events relating to this matter.
“It is not disputed that, following an argument on the team’s flight home from a game in Phoenix, both Mr. Arenas and Mr. Crittenton brought guns to the Verizon Center locker room and – with other players and team personnel present or nearby – displayed them to one another in a continuation of their dispute. The players engaged in this conduct despite a specific rule set forth in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibiting players from possessing a weapon at an NBA facility, and reminders of this prohibition given annually by the NBA to players both in writing and in person.
“The issue here is not about the legal ownership and possession of guns, either in one’s home or elsewhere. It is about possession of guns in the NBA workplace, which will not be tolerated.
“I have met separately with Mr. Arenas and with Mr. Crittenton. Both have expressed remorse for their actions and an understanding of the seriousness of their transgressions. Both have volunteered to engage in community service in order to turn the lessons they have learned into an educational message for others. I accept fully the sincerity of their expressions of regret and intent to create something positive from this incident.
“Nevertheless, there is no justification for their conduct. Accordingly, I am today converting Mr. Arenas’ indefinite suspension without pay to a suspension without pay for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, and am also suspending Mr. Crittenton without pay, effective immediately, for the remainder of the 2009-10 season.”
Arenas was sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation after pleading guilty Monday to a misdemeanor gun charge.
Arenas pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to a felony gun charge after an alleged confrontation with Crittenton in the Wizards’ locker room at Verizon Center in Washington. Arenas, who is in the second season of a six-year, $111 million contract, is scheduled to be sentenced March 26. He could face up to six months in prison.
TMZ obtained his mug shot (seen above).
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Gohard / January 27, 2010
Why isn’t he smiling, I thought this was all a joke to him? He looks pissed.
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RockChalkWoody / January 27, 2010
Where’s Jessie? Isn’t Arenas a member of Point Guard U? You love to run your mouth about KU & off-the-court problems, but yet you remain silent about your former player being all gangsta in the locker room. I don’t blame him, though–we all know how dangerous NBA locker rooms can be.
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OldTerp / January 27, 2010
Local DC Talk Radio reported that Gilbert wants Stern to void the remainder of his Wizards contract ($80M) because he never wants to play for them again. Reportedly he feels that the organization “didn’t back him up.” I guess that means they wouldn’t cover it up – so he’s a victim, I suppose.
Arenas isn’t a bad guy, he just does some stupid things every so often. The guns were over the top and he got what he deserved; of course – he probably doesn’t think so.
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AZhoops / January 28, 2010
I hope Arenas can get out of his contract and come sign with the Suns. Being stuck in the Wizards organization is like being on the Cleveland Browns.
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JessieWildcat / January 28, 2010
Woody,
U known Gile A is our boy, from Point Guard U.
Have to agree…guns are not for play.
Who GOT his back?
Was it too excessive?
And DOWN goes Kentucky!
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RockChalkWoody / January 28, 2010
Jessie, I guess I should be a douche like you & continue to harp on it and show stupid youtube clips of him going to the police station. Then again, I’d rather talk basketball. Point Guard U my a$$.
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AZhoops / January 28, 2010
“Point Guard U my a$$”… just because we’ve had to fight through the transitionary period after losing a HOF coach, doesn’t mean we haven’t put out a number of NBA allstars at the guard position.
Arizona has put out the following guards: Gilbert Arenas, Mike Bibby, Andre Iguodala, Richard Jefferson, Damon Stoudamire, Salim Stoudamire, Chase Budinger, Jerryd Bayless, and Jason Terry. Not to mention Brandon Jennings was on his way until he couldn’t academically qualify. Hopefully Josh Selby will be next in line.
Whose Kansas got in the NBA right now? Darrell Arthur, Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Darnell Jackson, Paul Pierce, Brandon Rush and a couple others. I’m not saying Kansas doesn’t produce NBA players, or that Kansas isn’t one of the top programs of all time with 3 championships and 13 final fours, but you can’t deny that Arizona has produced high quality NBA talent at the guard position.
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RockChalkWoody / January 28, 2010
AZhoops, I’m sick of Jessie’s Gangsta U crap so I’m sorry if you don’t like me saying Point Guard U is crap. Get over it.
With all of that talent you’ve had why only 4 Final Fours and 1 NCAA Championship? Hell, we had 3 Final Fours (and 1 NCAA Championship) in the last decade and you’ve pointed out our inferior NBA talent to yours.
I can’t believe you’d try to slide Brandon Jennings in there (that’s like me trying to count DeShawn Stevenson as a Jayhawk because he committed to play at Kansas).
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blasphemy / January 29, 2010
I really hate to burst Jessie’s bubble, (actually I love doing it, who am I kidding?) but UK will probably be the new PG U soon. Sorry. Feel free now to tell me how JC will cheat to get them or chant SAT for all I care, but we will be the new PG U.
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RockChalkWoody / January 30, 2010
blasphemy, I hope you guys get Knight & we get Selby. Oh, and Jessie gets hit by a bus.
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