Seriously, what kind of inside information do you think that Arenas has that would legitimately threaten the NBA? There's absolutely nothing that Gilbert Arenas knows unless he is a part of this conspiracy you seem to hint at. I seriously doubt David Stern would enlist Gilbert Arenas to help him carry out a league wide conspiracy to rig games.
Is this one his real twitter? http://twitter.com/gilbertarenas Its not verified but I know all the others ones are fake
i think stern is actually being pretty nice about this whole thing. if i were the commissioner i would have kicked him out of the league, had his contract cancelled, and had him serve jail time as well as paying massive fines to the nba. and as far as his teammates finding his actions amusing, i would fine them all as well for not grasping the seriousness of the situation. casual dressing, gold chains, and in-game fighting is not a big deal. keeping a gun in your locker and then pulling it on a teammate is inexcusable. all that said, yao should sign him to the shanghai sharks. they would win multiple championships and play to sellout crowds every night.
If this ultimately leads to his contract being voided out you could argue he's reached the Michael Vick level of stupidity.
Gilbert's Response: 'I am very sorry' http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/19098/gilberts-response-i-am-very-sorry
For reference: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/01/06/arenas-suspension-could-save-wizards-5-million-this-season/ More in the link.
There are a few things to consider in light of all this. First off, is it me or does it seem as if Stern is losing control of the NBA? Many of the most notoriously awful incidents have happened under his watch (Arenas, Stephen Jackson, the Palace). People are overestimating his capacity to be the enforcer. Second, while you obviously cannot deny the clear violation here, it's interesting to at least take note of what led up to the incident. Gambling. Might this be a common occurrence in NBA players' lives that needs investigating? And I'm not talking about going to casinos (i.e. Barkley, Walker, etc.) but teammates gambling in the airplane with copious amounts of money. As evidenced here, it can apparently lead to very bad things quickly. And let's not even forget that not too long ago Artest was drinking during half time and it somehow never came up until he spoke candidly about it...makes you wonder maybe players having guns in their locker rooms may not be as foreign of a concept to them as we are assuming. My only issue with all this was the timing on Stern's part. He didn't make a move until he felt personally slighted with Arenas seemingly taunting him in the pre-game routine. That kind of irks me to some degree... Anyways, there seems to be a whole different side to the NBA that we don't hear about. This incident could only be the tip of the iceburg.
Stephen Jackson's contract wasn't voided after a parole violation and firing a gun into the air. Ron Artest's contract wasn't voided after Detroit. Ellis contract wasn't voided after his moped accident. I don't see Arenas contract being voided especially if he faces no criminal charges by the DC police.
Chances of arenas' contract being voided are slim to none. But that doesn't mean the wizards aren't going to try. They could've started by not giving him the extension coming off 2 knee surgery's on the same knee.
But...but...dude...it was just a joke...see I'm going to point a lethal weapon at you and make you think I'm going to kill you...that's some funny crap!
Does this mean its time for a fire sale? Houston Trade Breakdown Change in Team Outlook: +27.5 ppg, +13.9 rpg, and +1.2 apg. Incoming Players Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Mike Miller Outgoing Players Tracy McGrady, Trevor Ariza, Brian Cook :grin:
You're being far too kind, Stern should have the heavens strike him down with lightning and the earth open up and swallow him whole.
