Ex-Wizard Mason 'not surprised' by gun drama
By Katie Carrera
Sunday, January 3, 2010
When San Antonio Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. returned to Washington on Saturday night, the pregame buzz at Verizon Center was anywhere but on the court. Talk of the alleged confrontation between Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton permeated all corners of the arena, including the visitors' locker room.
"Unfortunately I can't say that I'm surprised," said Mason, who played for the Wizards for two seasons from 2006 to 2008. "There are rumors, nothing's been confirmed, but if it is confirmed not only am I not surprised, I'm disappointed."
The NBA, D.C. police and federal authorities are investigating claims that Arenas brought guns to Verizon Center because of a dispute with Crittenton, bringing additional scrutiny to the 10-21 Wizards.
In the locker room before they beat the Wizards, 97-86, the Spurs -- a veteran-laden team -- expressed varying reactions to the incident.
"It's a very unfortunate situation and as NBA players we have a certain responsibility and to me it's like a lack of respect," Mason said. "Lack of respect for your teammates, for your organization and your fans because we're in a great position. I hope that [the reports] are not true. I don't want to be the one to rush to judgment, but if they are true I'm very disappointed."
San Antonio veteran forward Richard Jefferson has been a close friend of Arenas since they played together at Arizona, and said he didn't believe either the three-time all-star or Crittenton meant any serious harm or that they would do something to damage their careers.
"I think it was a joke gone wrong," Jefferson said. "Everyone talks real big and plays around, but I don't think there was anything malicious or that there was anything threatening or dangerous. . . . You typically don't bring something like this up, if you're really going to threaten somebody, and then joke about it."
Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich declined to comment on the situation directly, but laughed when a reporter remarked that he had the "most boring team in the NBA."
"At the risk of sounding self righteous," Popovich said, "I'm just going to go ahead and say we've been fortunate."
Said Mason: "We're all human and nobody's perfect. . . . There's just certain things that you don't do. That's one of them. I'm happy that on this team, nobody's worried about making headlines for the wrong reasons."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...010202115.html
Arenas gun allegations don't shock Mason
By Mike Monroe - Express-News
WASHINGTON — Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. spent two seasons in the Wizards' locker room, where he found Washington star Gilbert Arenas to be a good teammate and a locker room jokester.
But Mason said he was not surprised at recent allegations that Arenas and Wizards reserve guard Javaris Crittenton brandished handguns in the team's locker room before a practice session.
“Unfortunately, I'm not surprised, and even more so, I'm very disappointed to tell you the truth,” Mason said Saturday before the Spurs' 97-86 victory over the Wizards. “Even though we're all human and we all make mistakes, there are some things that aren't acceptable, and this is one of them. It's very disappointing.
“At the same time, you don't want to rush to judgment. You want to let the process unfold first, but if the rumors are true about it, then I'd say I'm very disappointed.”
Mason said he enjoyed playing with Arenas and appreciated him as a teammate.
“We know he's a character, a jokester, but overall, he was a good teammate,” he said.
Spurs forward Richard Jefferson also knows Arenas as a teammate from their days playing for the University of Arizona.
Jefferson had a chance to talk with Arenas before Saturday's game and came away with a more considered view.
“I think this was just a really bad joke that went too far and has gotten too much attention,” he said. “It was a really, really bad joke, but people are trying to make it out like it was guns drawn in the locker room on each other.
“It wasn't that type of dispute, I don't think. It was an (ego) contest that really was a bad joke that went really too far, but at no point do I think either of those guys was thinking about or planning on harming each other.”
Manu ailing: Spurs guard Manu Ginobili played through a bad head cold that has kept him awake at night and affected his breathing.
His voice an octave or two lower than normal from the congestion he is fighting, Ginobili said he experienced some fatigue during the Spurs' victory, but not enough to make him consider sitting out the game.
“My throat, my nose,” Ginobili said as he began a postgame interview. “I can't breathe. You should probably stay away from me.
“I was a little tired. My muscles are sore, and I have a headache, but not that much (that) I couldn't play.”
Between the sickness and the fall late, you've got to wonder if he'll be able to go tomorrow..Manu ailing: Spurs guard Manu Ginobili played through a bad head cold that has kept him awake at night and affected his breathing.
His voice an octave or two lower than normal from the congestion he is fighting, Ginobili said he experienced some fatigue during the Spurs' victory, but not enough to make him consider sitting out the game.
“My throat, my nose,” Ginobili said as he began a postgame interview. “I can't breathe. You should probably stay away from me.
“I was a little tired. My muscles are sore, and I have a headache, but not that much (that) I couldn't play.”
If I saw Arenas pointing a gun at me, I wouldn't be worried, judging by that airball he threw vs San Antonio.
It would be like that scene in Pulp Fiction, when that guy empties his gun at close range and somehow misses his his target
wtf brings a gun to a fight
if you going to use it, you better man the up when ur caught to face the justice system....or when someone returns the favor...
Katie Carrera is a sexy name.
I hope Manu isn't coming down with the flu. The last thing this team needs is Manu spreading a contgion and infectin his teammates.
Mason speaks like a true high character Spurs. I hope he is a Spurs until he retires.
I'm proud of Mason for speaking on this. He carefully prefaced his statements with the standard, "if these rumors are true" statement. Big ups to Mason.
People keep saying that Areanas has a quirky personality. However, that's just a euphemisn for saying he's simply an immature, dumb-ass.
So, why isn't Mason surprised? Does he know of some incident involving guns when he was with the Wizards?
He probably means that he knows (a lot of) NBA guys carry guns in their land yachts and on their persons. Remember self-deputizing SJax's shoot 'em a couple years ago?
Manu's voice "an octave or two lower" ? I doubt Monroe has any clue how much an octave really is, if his voice was two octaves lower he'd make James Earl Jones sound like an alto.
From Manu's Facebook:
"Had a great dinner w/good friends last nite, but outside, we froze our butts off! "
If it is Manu's nose then it is something big...
Guys, have a manager call a cab in advance and only step outside once its curbside. And if you're out in the cold because there's a wait to get inside, then use your NBAness to get in promptly. I would assume its a rare sight to see some NBAers freezing their butts off outside someplace.From Manu's Facebook:
"Had a great dinner w/good friends last nite, but outside, we froze our butts off! "
lmao..Manu sits out more games than Carl Herrera did...
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