Category: Washington Wizards Blog

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas, under investigation for having unloaded guns in his arena locker room, turned 28 years old today. His birthday present wasn’t one of the better ones, however.

National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern issued the following statement today:

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us.  I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia.  For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action.  Wizards personnel continue to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities, some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident.

“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.  Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

Shortly after the above statement was issued, the Wizards had this to say:

“We fully endorse the decision of the NBA to indefinitely suspend Gilbert Arenas.  Strictly legal issues aside, Gilbert’s recent behavior and statements, including his actions and statements last night in Philadelphia, are unacceptable.  Some of our other players appeared to find Gilbert’s behavior in Philadelphia amusing.  This is also unacceptable.  Under Abe Pollin’s leadership, our organization never tolerated such behavior, and we have no intention of ever doing so.”

More on NBA suspending Gilbert Arenas

According to CBS Sports, “the swift and potentially severe punishment came less than 24 hours after Arenas mocked the criminal and NBA investigation of his possession of firearms in the Wizards’ locker room on Dec. 21 by spraying his teammates with fake gunfire in the pre-game huddle in Philadelphia Tuesday night. That brazen act, and Arenas’ latest comments after the game that he didn’t do anything wrong by bringing guns to work, prompted Stern to act.”

Mike Jones (formerly of the Washington Times) said this on his blog: “Stern showed how mean by pulling the plug on Arenas’ comedy act, although the legal process has yet to fully play out. Each game Arenas misses will cost the guard $147,208.”

According to the New York Times, “In the days since the incident became public, Arenas frequently used his Twitter account to mock journalists who reported the story, to address unrelated topics and to relate obscene jokes. Arenas defended his posts by claiming that he used humor as a way to deflect personal pain. Then, during warmups before a Tuesday evening game against the Philadelphia 76ers, he used his thumb and index fingers to pretend to shoot his teammates, who laughed at the display. “They said: ‘Do it. Do it. Do it,’ ” Arenas told reporters afterward. “You wonder why I can’t be serious.”

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Wow. I’m not even sure how to react to this latest report. Get ready for some wild stuff.

It had recently been reported by several media outlets that Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas had (unloaded) guns in his locker, but nothing actually happened with them and the only investigation revolved around why they were there at all.

But things just got a lot more nasty and complicated.

Peter Vecsey and David K. Li of the New York Post report:

Guess they’re still the Bullets at heart.

NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas and his Washing ton Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other in the team’s locker room during a Christmas Eve dispute over a gambling debt, The Post has learned.

League sources say the pistol-packing point guards had heaters at the ready inside the Verizon Center, the Washington, DC home of the Wizards — whose name was changed from the Bullets over gun- violence concerns.

It was the three-time all-star Arenas, 27, who went for his gun first, sources said, drawing on the 22-year-old Crittenton, who quickly brandished a firearm as well.

It was not clear whether other teammates saw the shocking standoff, which happened on a practice day.

The duel in DC — unprecedented in sports history — was sparked when Crittenton became enraged at the veteran 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.

To follow this story as it develops, read the InsideHoops.com NBA rumors page each day (as you should be doing anyway).

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. the Wizards lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 110-98.

The Thunder shot 54.4 percent from the field in the win, and nailed 10-of-18 from three-point range.

Wizards coach Flip Saunders is tired of his team’s inability to play defense.

Mike Jones of the Washington Times reports:

“This team needs a mindset change. This team for the last five years has been known as one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and until we make a commitment…” Saunders said, stopping himself short before hunkering down in front of the microphone. “We couldn’t stop anybody out there. We could’ve taken five guys out of this room and they would’ve had a chance. …

“[Oklahoma City] is playing a lot better, but that is not the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Los Angeles Lakers or one of those teams yet. Until they score on you and it hurts, we’re kidding ourselves.” …

The Wizards had primarily used a zone defense to slow the Thunder in the second quarter, but in the third Oklahoma City found a way around it to make 10 of its 19 field goal attempts – further stoking Saunders’ frustrations.

“Zone got us back in the game, and we did well playing some zone. And then guys want to come out of the zone and play man-to-man, but they can’t guard anybody!” the coach fumed. “I could go out there on that floor and take anyone on our team one-on-one at [54] years old and drive around them.”

It’s tough to say what Saunders can do. Other than Russell Westbrook, who was slightly off, virtually every member of the Thunder who played real minutes shot well last night.

It may be time for the Wizards to break up the Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison core.

The AP reports:

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas stored unloaded firearms in a container in his locker, according to the team, and the NBA is looking into the situation.

The Wizards issued a statement Thursday night saying there was no ammunition in the locked container, and Arenas and the team have notified authorities and the league.

Mike Jones of the Washington Times reports:

In a phone interview with The Washington Times, Arenas said he had guns at his home, but following the Dec. 9 birth of his third child, daughter Hamiley Penny, he decided he didn’t want the weapons anywhere his children could get to them. So on Dec. 10, Arenas brought them to Verizon Center, where he stored them in his lockbox until he could figure out what to do with them. A week later, he turned the guns over to team security and asked that they be turned over to the D.C. police.

The following statement was released Tuesday afternoon by the Washington Wizards:

Washington Sports & Entertainment Chairman Abe Pollin passed away earlier today. Further details will be released through Washington Sports & Entertainment as they become available. The Pollin family asks that their privacy be respected in this difficult time.

Philly Burbs reports: Pollin was known as a driving force in the revitalization of downtown Washington, particularly in the Chinatown area where the Wizards play, as well as a loyal man and passionate owner who desperately wanted to bring another championship to a franchise that last celebrated a title in 1977-78, when Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes were the team’s stars.

The Washington Post reports: Decades ago, Abe Pollin showed up at Wes Unseld’s wedding. Years later, he showed up at Unseld’s father’s funeral. Fill in the blanks for all the moments in between, “too many to even mention,” said Unseld, a man who worked for Pollin as a player and a coach and an executive. More than 30 years ago, Pollin met young lawyers who were just showing up in a business in which he had already toiled for years. “He couldn’t have been nicer to me, a kid lawyer,” said Gary Bettman, now the commissioner of the NHL. “Just extraordinarily kind, when he didn’t need to be,” said Stan Kasten, now the president of the Washington Nationals.

Share your thoughts on the InsideHoops Washington Wizards forum.

Despite the return of Gilbert Arenas this season, the Washington Wizards are off to a rocky start to the 2009-10 NBA season.

Mike Jones of the Washington Times reports:

Two road games, two dysfunctional performances and another new low for the Washington Wizards.

A night after getting run out of the gym by the Oklahoma City Thunder because of a sorry excuse for a defensive showing, the Wizards rode into San Antonio and actually did a decent job defending the hosting Spurs. But an ice cold offense crippled Washington in an 106-84 loss.

On Friday, the Wizards got a combined 69 points from Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. Saturday night, the trio combined for just 41 points to lead a squad that posted a season-worst .333 shooting clip from the field. The Wizards also got outrebounded 59-44.

Arenas had a team-high 18 points against the Spurs, but his 7-for-18 shooting performance was anything but effective, and his three turnovers were one more than his assist total for the night.

With a 3-0 record, the Wizards are tied with the Bobcats for last in the Southeast division, and have the same wins-losses as the Knicks. Only the Nets (0-13) have fewer wins in the East, and just one team (the Timberwolves) has fewer in the West.

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