The last thing the District of Columbia needs is a gun duel in Barrack’s backyard, at the nation’s capital where homicide rates are overwhelming, repulsive, and a disgrace. Years ago, the local basketball team had enough sense to change its name from the Washington Bullets to the Wizards, anxious to remove violence from a troubling society.
However, for years, the NBA has dealt with disturbing aspects of firearms in which players are comfortable lugging around concealed weapons. Wasn’t David Stern, an intolerant commissioner, who cracked down on those undaunted enough to commit fraud or reckless crimes, said players should leave their guns at home and could levy massive suspensions or fines?
If so, the same type of sanction is convenient for Gilbert Arenas. His recent actions are defined by stupidity and irresponsibility and must be taken seriously.
By using poor judgment, arguably the most beloved and entertaining sports figure in Washington brought four unloaded guns to stash in his locker at the Verizon Center.
Arenas’ flimsy excuses are even more pathetic, than his obnoxious shouts of “Hibachi” anytime he attempts a shot.
On Monday, in a statement, Arenas wrote, an I-want-you-to-feel-sorry-for-me message. “I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia, mistakenly believing that the recent change in D.C. gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District."
Shut up, Mr. Know It All Arenas. Point of the matter is, you had weapons in your locker.
And fact is, you have to pay the consequences for pulling out a gun on teammate, Jarvaris Crittenton.
When someone commits a foolish mistake, it’s funny that they usually soften the truth. Well now, Arenas tries to clear name and subdue all the headaches of a potential indictment on gun charges, jail time, and even a firm suspension.
What he considers to be a prank isn’t a joke to most, and could suddenly endanger his career. Before Christmas, Arenas disclosed he had guns, and avowed a horrendous standpoint of his lifestyle outside of basketball by pointing a gun at Crittenton in conflict over a card-game gambling debt.
Isn’t that stupid?
For a player known as the vintage Agent Zero, he's earning damn-near $111 million over six years. Two years ago, he became the sixth player since the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement was established in 1999, to sign a large deal. He gave his side of the story when he met with officials Monday.
Following the meeting, he wrote: “I took the loaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate. Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone. Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to D.C. in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns—even if unloaded.”
Sorry, I don’t buy into Arenas' story. He doesn’t have the guts to man-up and admit to his wrongdoings. And now, instead of referring to him as Agent Zero, he has become the man of Zero Tolerance. That said, Stern has the audacity to suspend the contemptible superstar, but has yet to hammer Arenas for faulty judgment.
There’s enough evidence to issue a suspension, sending an influential statement to all players for a problem that has transpired in the NBA.
From my perspective, Arenas deserves to miss the remainder of the season and should be banned immediately.
Hell, if Los Angeles Lakers’ forward, Ron Artest, was banned an entire season for charging the stands at Detroit and igniting the Malice at the Palace brawl, Arenas deserves a steep punishment as well.
Put it this way, he violated NBA rules by transporting a gun to a venue.
Having possession of firearms is worst than jumping into the stands.
There was even the Tim Donaghy point-shaving scandal, a corrupted ordeal that forced Stern to dismiss Donaghy from officiating games. In a league attempting to remove themselves from a diabolical era, excluding disobedient athletes is a way to cure a thuggish persona.
Nonetheless, he could issue multiple sanctions as the league is still investigating and monitoring Cleveland’s Delonte West, whose mental issues may have related to his arrest in Maryland last summer for possession of two loaded handguns and a loaded shotgun while speeding on a motorcycle. There was Stephen Jackson, who acknowledged he fired a gunshot outside a strip club into the air in Indianapolis for protection.
Sebastian Telfair carried a loaded handgun on Portland’s team plane years ago, too. There are, believe it or not, a number of NBA stars that own firearms. Even New Jersey’s point guard Devin Harris believes so, telling reporters he’s convinced 75 percent of the league’s players own guns. I wouldn’t be surprised, with the endless troubles it has advertised in recent years.
As the local citizens in the D.C. region describes Arenas as the most famous point guard and a franchise player, I’ll take matters into an opposite direction and refer to him as a worthless S.O.B.
Being objective, he has an arrogant personality that materializes every time he hurls a long-range jumper or aggressively drives to the paint. Sadly, Arenas is a prime example, illustrating ignorance of the law and must be held accountable for gruesome misdeeds.
Our society must recognize the danger guns could bring within the workplace or the public in general. For an immature, careless Arenas ignoring Stern’s plea of leaving guns at home tells us more about a league full of scoundrels, a league without a remedy to terminate all the unnecessary madness.
If there are myriads of player’s owning firearms, it poses as a bigger problem in the NBA. The league is ridiculed with many superstars described as thugs for infamous brawls or shootings at birthday bashes.
To be straightforward, Stern must wear his stern face and announce a suspension. Or else the NBA could turn into a CSI scene quickly and remain the league known for thugs.
