Report: Arenas, Crittenton pull guns on each other

[The_Worlds_finest]

It is washington dc; nothing out of the ordinary...

NEW YORK (AP)—Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Javaris Crittenton(notes) drew guns on each other during a Christmas Eve locker room argument over a gambling debt, according to The New York Post.

Citing an anonymous source, the newspaper reports in Friday’s edition that the standoff was sparked when Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling debt. That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then also grabbed for a gun, league security sources tell the Post.

Asked by the Post about the confrontation, Arenas denied pulling a gun on Crittenton.

“This is unprecedented in the history of sports,” Billy Hunter, executive director of the Player’s Association, tells the Post. “I’ve never heard of players pulling guns on each other in a locker room.”

The Wizards said on the night of Dec. 24 that Arenas had stored unloaded firearms in a container in his locker at the arena and that the NBA was looking into the situation. On Tuesday, Washington, D.C. police said they were investigating a report that weapons were found inside a locker room at the Verizon Center.

Now, the federal government is also involved. Ben Friedman, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office in DC, tells the Post “we’re working with the Metropolitan Police Department on the investigation.”

[Double-Up]

What the fuck is wrong with them? Does losing hurt THAT much?

[balli]

What sucks is that this is just another incident where The League will get accused of thuggery. When in reality, there's not much that's more pussy than a couple of millionaires pulling guns on each other with no intention of pulling the trigger. Still, Arenas is dumbass of unrivaled proportion.

[I-Ball]

why do these guys bring guns to the locker room?

this team chemistry must be really bad.......

[djohn2oo8]

No wonder Washington offered him for McGrady....Sad situation

[Muser]

Couldn't the get put away for this?

[benefactor]

Link?

[Double-Up]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/nba_gunpoint_R52AnT76DRgTSuVKDQ8XBO

[Chieflion]

Arenas like to shoot a lot. He has a quick trigger.

[Killakobe81]

LOL ... ^
Tough year for Gil the baby mama drama ... and the shaq stuff ...2009 not his finest ...

[lil_penny]

Arenas like to shoot a lot. He has a quick trigger.

Lol

[Chomag]

I didn't even think anyone would be allowed to have fire arms in the locker room lol

[The Franchise]

Couldn't the get put away for this?

Let's hope so.

[lil_penny]

Looks like the wizards could probably get out of that contract also

[The Franchise]

Looks like the wizards could probably get out of that contract also

I was wondering about that. :lol

[lil_penny]

I was wondering about that. :lol

I wouldn't be surprised if they set this whole thing up lol

[SpursFanFirst]

why do these guys bring guns to the locker room?

this team chemistry must be really bad.......

In another article, Arenas said he brought his guns to the arena to store them, and keep them away from his kids.
I don't know about the other guy.

[ashbeeigh]

Whatever it reasons, it will be interesting when the Spurs play them come Saturday...right?

[velik_m]

So, can we go back to calling them Washington Bullets?

[Venti Quattro]

Now Arenas denies the reports

[quickerblade]

they both should have the contracts forfeited.

[Venti Quattro]

they both should have the contracts forfeited.
Lakers should grab Caron Butler

[lefty]

Washington Bullets?

[HarlemHeat37]

There's no way this is true IMO..non-story..

[TDMVPDPOY]

if its true, crit shouldve dared the moron to pull the trigger and get half of that max contract

[Xylus]

I don't believe this story at all.

Anonymous source? Fuck off.

[Capt Bringdown]

Amerika's gun culture sucks.

[Kori Ellis]

I don't believe this story at all.

Anonymous source? Fuck off.

I think they are saying that it was a friend of Crittenton's - not totally anonymous - who told the story.

The police are involved and everything now, but there's so many discrepancies. At first reports were that it happened on Dec 24, then Dec 21. Then they say Arenas brought his guns there on Dec 11. I'm not really sure.

If anything, I think Arenas will just get cited for having unlicensed weapons in DC.

[HarlemHeat37]

It could just be that Crittenton's man wanted to bring it out in public so Critt gets his 150 large..seems like a good plan..Arenas isn't going to duck him when there's potentially much bigger problems at hand..

[mogrovejo]

What sucks is that this is just another incident where The League will get accused of thuggery. When in reality, there's not much that's more pussy than a couple of millionaires pulling guns on each other with no intention of pulling the trigger. Still, Arenas is dumbass of unrivaled proportion.


It seems both of them are indeed point-guards.

[BRHornet45]

sons now as bad as the Peja contract is for us, at least we aren't in a situation like this. The Wizards owe the gun slinging, injury prone Arenas $96 million over the next 5 years.

[Chomag]

For those that might be wondering the legalities if this story is true.

http://www.nbpa.com/cba_articles/article-VI.php


Section 9. Firearms.
(a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind. For purposes of the foregoing, “a facility or venue” includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.

(b) Any violation of Section 9(a) above shall be considered conduct prejudicial to the NBA under Article 35(d) of the NBA Constitution and By-Laws, and shall therefore subject the player to discipline by the NBA in accordance with such Article.

[mogrovejo]

For those that might be wondering the legalities if this story is true.

http://www.nbpa.com/cba_articles/article-VI.php


Section 9. Firearms.
(a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind. For purposes of the foregoing, “a facility or venue” includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.

(b) Any violation of Section 9(a) above shall be considered conduct prejudicial to the NBA under Article 35(d) of the NBA Constitution and By-Laws, and shall therefore subject the player to discipline by the NBA in accordance with such Article.

Which are?

[redzero]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6576/gilbert2.png
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5540/gilbert1.jpg

[mojorizen7]

The investigation of Gilbert Arenas(notes) and the guns he brought to the Verizon Center took a much more serious turn on Friday amid a report that he and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton(notes) allegedly drew on each other during a locker-room argument over a gambling debt.

Arenas responded with a flurry of messages on Twitter, at times making light of the news but also making one tweet that read somewhat like a denial: “I understand this is serious..but if u ever met me you know i dont do serious things im a goof ball this story today dont sound goofy to me.”

Arenas later tweeted he couldn’t talk about the report the way he wanted to. He did not respond to a text message left by The Associated Press. A message left for Crittenton’s agent also was not returned.


FILE - In this Sept. 28, 2009,…

AP - Jan 1, 3:50 pm EST

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2008 …

AP - Jan 1, 3:50 pm EST 1 of 2 NBA Gallery The NBA and the Wizards would only confirm that an investigation is taking place—and it’s being led by law enforcement, not the league.

“There is an active investigation by D.C. law enforcement authorities, which we are monitoring closely,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said in a statement. “We are not taking any independent action at this time.”

D.C. police said they are assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the matter.

The Wizards and Arenas both have acknowledged that Arenas kept guns in his locker. The team has said the firearms were unloaded and kept in a locked container with no ammunition. Arenas has said he took his guns to the Verizon Center because he didn’t want them in his house after the birth of his latest child. He said he later handed them over to team security to give to police.

“They just want to know where I got them from,” Arenas said on Tuesday. “They want to make sure they’re not dirty guns.”

But Yahoo! Sports and the New York Post, both citing unidentified sources, reported the investigation now involves Crittenton. The Post reported Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling debt. That prompted Arenas to draw on Crittenton, who then reached for a gun, league security sources told the Post.

The nation’s capital has some of the most strict gun laws in the nation. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement allows for players to legally possess firearms, but prohibits them at league facilities or when traveling on league business.

Pending the outcome of the investigation, Arenas and Crittenton could face fines or suspensions from the NBA.

Arenas, in the second season of a six-year, $111 million contract, was suspended for Washington’s season opener in 2004 because he failed to maintain proper registration of a handgun while living in California in 2003.

Arenas didn’t make the reports sound serious with his first tweet on the matter on Friday: “i wake up this morning and seen i was the new JOHN WAYNE. … Media is too funny.”

Arenas, once known for his must-read blog, had vowed not to even use Twitter until he had one million followers. He broke his silence on New Year’s Eve because he said it was taking too long to reach the goal. He had about 11,000 followers.

On Friday, he tweeted often, referencing the gun investigation while mixing in references to other topics.

“if ur not laughing i dont think u should follow me becuz im never serious and i will never not say anything dumb and silly,” he wrote, before finally taking a break.

Arenas is averaging 22.7 points this season as he returns from knee surgeries that limited to 15 games over the previous two seasons. Crittenton has an injured left foot and hasn’t played this season.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-wizards-guns&prov=ap&type=lgns

[Kori Ellis]

Sources: Dispute begins over card gam

A dispute that began on the team plane and resumed more than 24 hours later in the team's locker room between Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton is at the center of an investigation by local and federal authorities into Arenas' recent admission of gun possession on Wizards property, according to sources close to the situation.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that an argument commenced during a card game on the team's overnight flight back to Washington from Phoenix on Dec. 19 and escalated into a heated exchange between Arenas and Crittenton. The Wizards had Dec. 20 off, but sources say the hostilities resumed Dec. 21 in the locker room on a practice day.

Sources say that Arenas, in response to what was said on the flight, placed three guns he owns on a chair near Crittenton's locker stall and invited him to pick one before practice on Dec. 21. Sources said that Crittenton subsequently let Arenas know that he had his own gun.

The New York Post, quoting league security sources, reported in Friday's editions that Arenas and Crittenton pulled guns on each other over a gambling debt during the pre-practice confrontation at the Verizon Center.

The Washington Post, in a story posted on its Web site Friday night, quoted Arenas as saying, "That's not the real story." The newspaper also reported that the argument between Arenas and Crittenton was over "who had the bigger gun" and that there was never any intent to physically harm Crittenton, according to "a person who has spoken with Arenas recently."

It is not known how many other Wizards players were in the locker room at the time of the clash. The Wizards and Arenas have maintained since Dec. 24, when the team publicly confirmed that Arenas had stored three guns in a locked box in his locker, that the firearms were unloaded.

If either Arenas or Crittenton is found to have brandished a gun against his teammate, long-term suspensions and heavy fines from NBA commissioner David Stern would appear to be likely, given the ever-rising levels of Stern's distaste for any hint of violence in the league in the wake of the infamous Indiana-Detroit brawl in November 2004.

The league office, though, is expected to wait to see whether local or federal charges are filed in the case before determining the scale of potential punishments.

Arenas spoke briefly with reporters Friday afternoon following Washington's practice and also made numerous statements via his Twitter account disputing the New York Post's report, which alleges that Crittenton became angry at Arenas for refusing to make good on a gambling debt, prompting Arenas to pull a gun first and Crittenton to respond by grabbing his own gun.

The Washington Post reported Friday afternoon that Arenas is threatening to sue the New York Post.The Washington Post also spoke to Arenas' father, Gilbert Arenas Sr., who said: "From the respect of guns being pulled in the locker room and at each other... that's ludicrous. [Gilbert Jr.] bringing the guns to the locker room to keep away from his kids, that's true. [But] Gil did not pull a gun on anybody. That's about all that I can say."

Arenas eventually turned his three guns in to team security and later told reporters -- after a CBSSports.com report on Christmas Eve revealed that Arenas was being investigated for violating league rules on gun possession -- that he brought them to the workplace because he no longer wanted them in his house after the birth of his third child in early December.

District of Columbia police officials immediately began looking into the matter and announced in a statement Wednesday, without naming any names or providing further details, that they have begun assisting the U.S. Attorney's Office in a joint probe into "an allegation that weapons were located inside a locker room at the Verizon Center."

Through a series of tweets, Arenas appeared Friday to be trying to downplay the severity of the situation in his usual glib manner. But the potential range of punishments would figure to be severe given the stricter-than-usual gun laws in the District of Columbia and the NBA's rules forbidding gun possession on league property.

Although no action from the league office is expected until the legal process plays out, which is the NBA norm, Stern is bound to take an especially dim view of the whole episode in deference to late Wizards owner Abe Pollin, who changed the team's nickname from Bullets to Wizards in 1997 in part because he was so profoundly affected by the assassination of former Israeli prime minister and close friend Yitzhak Rabin. Until his death in November, Pollin was as close to Stern as any NBA owner.

"There is an active investigation by D.C. law enforcement authorities, which we are monitoring closely," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Friday. "We are not taking any independent action at this time."

The Wizards, in a statement issued Friday, said: "We take this situation and the ongoing investigation very seriously. We are continuing to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA and will have no further comment at this time."

In Friday's New York Post report, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld is quoted as saying: "It's in the hands of the authorities. We're going to get to the bottom of this, if there is a bottom to this."

The controversy is the latest and possibly biggest setback in Washington's highly disappointing 10-20 start. Arenas is averaging 22.7 points and 6.9 assists after missing much of the past two seasons because of multiple surgeries on his left knee, but there is already considerable curiosity -- not only in the media but among rival teams watching the drama unfold -- whether the Wizards will eventually try to void the remainder of Arenas' mammoth six-year, $111 million contract because of this serious nature of this incident.

Arenas may not play Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs because of soreness in his left knee, Wizards head coach Flip Saunders told The Washington Post on Friday. Saunders would not comment on the reported dispute between Arenas and Crittenton.

Crittenton has not played all season because of an ankle injury and declined comment Friday when reached by the Washington Post. Crittenton's new agent, Mark Bartelstein, also declined comment Friday.

Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4789650

[Indazone]

hmmm we are wandering into Tinsley territory now. All we need to do now is to add a driveby shooting and some drugs and by jove, I think you've got it.

[Venti Quattro]

The Wizards have too many shooting guards.

[BlackSwordsMan]

arenas likes to play halo 3 a lot he could always blame video games

[Laker-fan-in-SanAnto]

There's no way this is true IMO..non-story..

You don't believe this But yet you believe that Kobe is a rapist?
:lol

[Laker-fan-in-SanAnto]

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6576/gilbert2.png
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5540/gilbert1.jpg

:lmao