Arenas suspended indefinitely

[Jerryaki]

A gun without ammo can't be fired. There's no indication that anyone had any ammunition for those guns anywhere on the grounds; the statement says he had the ammunition at home. It wasn't in a broom closet.

true, but unloaded guns waved around in the heat of an argument could be disastrous should a security guard happen to walk by the locker room and act quickly with his/her own firearm.

plus, there seems to be two eyewitness accounts in the locker room stating that Javaris then got his own gun, and loaded ammo into it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010605167.html

 

[Superman]

true, but unloaded guns waved around in the heat of an argument could be disastrous should a security guard happen to walk by the locker room and act quickly with his/her own firearm.

plus, there seems to be two eyewitness accounts in the locker room stating that Javaris then got his own gun, and loaded ammo into it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/06/AR2010010605167.html

The real seriousness is what could happen when people start reacting. But I disagree with the notion that an unloaded gun can't be safe. From what I've seen, it sounds like Arenas took proper safety precautions when storing the guns. They were locked in a case, put in his private locker, and stored safely. He shouldn't have had them at the arena, but they weren't just sitting on a shelf in the locker room.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I disagree with your assessment of Arenas actions, and I stated the reasons above. He didn't bring the guns into a place that was unprotected, unguarded, and accessible to hundreds of people. He stored them in his private locker at the arena, which was in poor taste, but had that been the extent of it, no one would have been harmed. Stupid and idiotic is how I would describe Arenas' actions, particular pulling the guns out, and he deserves whatever it is that he gets as punishment. But I don't think it was as dangerous and harmful as you're making it out to be.

Pretty much my assessment, he should get a good suspension out of it, maybe some mandated community work on gun responsibility while he takes a month or two off and that's that. Frankly I'd rather he keeps his gun collection in his locker than at his house if he has kids.

 

[Superman]

Pretty much my assessment, he should get a good suspension out of it, maybe some mandated community work on gun responsibility while he takes a month or two off and that's that. Frankly I'd rather he keeps his gun collection in his locker than at his house if he has kids.

I don't think keeping them in his locker is a big deal, but apparently the CBA has specific wording against bringing firearms to the arena or practice facility, so he broke the rules. I sincerely doubt Arenas was aware of that stipulation. By violating it, though, he put his contract at risk. I'm sure the Wizards wouldn't mind getting the majority of their $111 million back.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I don't think keeping them in his locker is a big deal, but apparently the CBA has specific wording against bringing firearms to the arena or practice facility, so he broke the rules. I sincerely doubt Arenas was aware of that stipulation. By violating it, though, he put his contract at risk. I'm sure the Wizards wouldn't mind getting the majority of their $111 million back.

Yeah, I did see that, and I'm glad its in there.

 

[kennadog]

Pretty much my assessment, he should get a good suspension out of it, maybe some mandated community work on gun responsibility while he takes a month or two off and that's that. Frankly I'd rather he keeps his gun collection in his locker than at his house if he has kids.

He has more than enough money to get himself the best gunsafe availble at his home. Or rent a place to store them away from his home. Bringing his guns to work for that reason is just a questionable excuse to me. And what keeps the kids safe from the guns when he is at home? Are there no responsible adults around when he's gone?

 

[pdxKingsFan]

I wasn't meaning to make excuses for him, I was just stating what I think is safer even if they are both stupid options. He really should join a gun club where he can blast to his heart's content and then leave the toys at the club when fantasy time is over.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I think if this story is true it illustrates exactly why an unloaded gun is still dangerous because of how someone might react to it. One thing is for sure, a gun is not funny and Crittenton would agree with that since he tossed it across the room and loaded his own gun. It takes 1 second and a 20 cent bullet for that gun to become a murder weapon. I really wish people would stop blowing this off like an unloaded gun is harmless.

 

[Superman]

He has more than enough money to get himself the best gunsafe availble at his home. Or rent a place to store them away from his home. Bringing his guns to work for that reason is just a questionable excuse to me. And what keeps the kids safe from the guns when he is at home? Are there no responsible adults around when he's gone?

I think he said he's been storing the guns in his locker, not just taking them with him and bringing them back home. I don't think he needs to take them to work with him, but we're not talking about the average workplace. Like it or not, the rules for acceptable workplace behavior are different for professional athletes than they are for common workers. At our jobs, common sense is expected; in the NBA, if it's not specifically referred to in writing, it's not enforceable. The Warriors tried to void Latrell Sprewell's contract when he violently attacked his coach, choking him. They were not able to because the personal conduct clause in his contract was too vague. So the only real problem with him taking the guns to "work" is that it's specifically forbidden in the CBA.

I don't know why he felt that his locker was the best place to store his guns. It does sound sort of fishy, but that's his story, and if that's the case, I don't have a huge problem with it, except that it's against the rules. I don't think it's particularly dangerous. He'd be better off getting a quality gun safe (they make some very good safes for guns these days, by the way,) and if he can afford a GD shark tank, he can afford to drop a few quid on a safe and keep his guns at home.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Pretty much my assessment, he should get a good suspension out of it, maybe some mandated community work on gun responsibility while he takes a month or two off and that's that. Frankly I'd rather he keeps his gun collection in his locker than at his house if he has kids.

Are you kidding me? Ever heard of a gun safe? Jeez, I'm sure Arenas' house is so freaking huge that there are a ton of places he could store his guns there and his kids could never find them. And someone that rich has a safe of some kind where he could stash it. Or if he just wants to get rid of them he could take it to the police department. Anywhere but his place of work where it is against his contract to do so. Regardless, he wasn't keeping his guns there, he brought them there to lay them out next to Crittenton's locker.

 

[Superman]

I think if this story is true it illustrates exactly why an unloaded gun is still dangerous because of how someone might react to it. One thing is for sure, a gun is not funny and Crittenton would agree with that since he tossed it across the room and loaded his own gun. It takes 1 second and a 20 cent bullet for that gun to become a murder weapon. I really wish people would stop blowing this off like an unloaded gun is harmless.

From the article, it sounded like Crittenton was joking around, too. I might be misinterpreting it, but the article says he loaded his gun, cocked it, and started singing. No indication that he pointed it at Arenas or anyone else. I might be missing something, but I took it to mean that he was not challenging Arenas to a gun fight.

I'm not saying that brandishing an unloaded firearm can't lead to someone getting hurt. I'm saying that storing an unloaded firearm in your locker isn't dangerous, given these particular circumstances. And understand, I'm not Yosemite Sam or anything. I don't own a gun, and have only handled one once. I have a kid, and wouldn't think of having a gun in the house, because unfortunately, bad things happen. It's in the news all the time. I take gun safety as seriously as the next guy. I just don't hear "he had a gun in his locker" and automatically equate that with a shootout at the Verizon Center.

 

[Superman]

Are you kidding me? Ever heard of a gun safe? Jeez, I'm sure Arenas' house is so freaking huge that there are a ton of places he could store his guns there and his kids could never find them. And someone that rich has a safe of some kind where he could stash it. Or if he just wants to get rid of them he could take it to the police department. Anywhere but his place of work where it is against his contract to do so. Regardless, he wasn't keeping his guns there, he brought them there to lay them out next to Crittenton's locker.

That's not what he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4771109

"It happened like Dec. 10. Right after my daughter was born," Arenas said. "I decided I didn't want the guns in my house and around the kids anymore, so I took them to my lockbox at Verizon Center. Then like a week later, I turned them over to team security and told them to hand them over to the police, because I don't want them anymore. I wouldn't have brought them to D.C. had I known the rules. After my daughter was born, I was just like, I don't need these anymore."
​

 

[PurpleHaze]

When busted for concealed firearm in 2003 Arenas said he didn't know the gun was in his car. He was pulled over for a traffic violation in San Francisco (then playing for Golden State) and while reaching for registration in the glove compartment officers spotted a large ammo clip. They then searched the vehicle and found a .40-caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol in a bag hanging from back of the passenger seat. The gun was registered to him in Arizona where he legally purchased it, but not registered in California. He claimed (once again) he "forgot" that he had to register it in California. Arenas was convicted of having a concealed weapon and fined.

Bottom line: Gilbert Arenas likes to always make jokes about, give excuses, if not pathologically spouting off outright lies to try and get out of repeated troubles.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Are you kidding me? Ever heard of a gun safe?

Oh yeah, gun safe and all is well. Maybe you weren't the kind of kid I was.

 

[Vlade4GM]

That's not what he said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4771109

"It happened like Dec. 10. Right after my daughter was born," Arenas said. "I decided I didn't want the guns in my house and around the kids anymore, so I took them to my lockbox at Verizon Center. Then like a week later, I turned them over to team security and told them to hand them over to the police, because I don't want them anymore. I wouldn't have brought them to D.C. had I known the rules. After my daughter was born, I was just like, I don't need these anymore."
​

Which is an obvious lie.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Oh yeah, gun safe and all is well. Maybe you weren't the kind of kid I was.

No, I couldn't crack safes when I was a kid, I guess I was behind the curve in that way.

 

[Superman]

Which is an obvious lie.

Okay, do you know that? I'm taking him at his word because there's no evidence to suggest that he took the guns to his locker room specifically to show them to Crittenton. There's no evidence to suggest that he's lying. He might be, but I'd just as soon wait for a legitimate reason to suspect that.

 

[Superman]

When busted for concealed firearm in 2003 Arenas said he didn't know the gun was in his car. He was pulled over for a traffic violation in San Francisco (then playing for Golden State) and while reaching for registration in the glove compartment officers spotted a large ammo clip. They then searched the vehicle and found a .40-caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol in a bag hanging from back of the passenger seat. The gun was registered to him in Arizona where he legally purchased it, but not registered in California. He claimed (once again) he "forgot" that he had to register it in California. Arenas was convicted of having a concealed weapon and fined.

Bottom line: Gilbert Arenas likes to always make jokes about, give excuses, if not pathologically spouting off outright lies to try and get out of repeated troubles.

As far as gun offenses are concerned, that is minor. Very minor. He had a gun that he legally owns and was registered where he lives in his car while he was driving in another state. It was unloaded in that case as well. It was a misdemeanor, he paid the fine, and that was that. Not a big deal.

 

[Vlade4GM]

Okay, do you know that? I'm taking him at his word because there's no evidence to suggest that he took the guns to his locker room specifically to show them to Crittenton. There's no evidence to suggest that he's lying. He might be, but I'd just as soon wait for a legitimate reason to suspect that.

How about it making absolutely no sense? I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a lie.

 

[Vlade4GM]

There might be security footage coming.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

As far as gun offenses are concerned, that is minor. Very minor. He had a gun that he legally owns and was registered where he lives in his car while he was driving in another state. It was unloaded in that case as well. It was a misdemeanor, he paid the fine, and that was that. Not a big deal.

I don't know about PurpleHaze or you, Supes, but I've moved states a half dozen times in my day and I can tell you I "forgot" to do plenty of things I was supposed to upon relocating. I could never remember to get a new driver's license until my old one expired or I had to register my car, of course you're supposed to do that within 5 days but it usually took me a few months, around the time my old tags expired. I know I'm not the only one who forgets these things either, and I'm a pretty normal law-abiding, even law-fearing citizen.

 

[drboiffard]

There is a very interesting column by Karl Malone (pro-guns and proud member of that association) on the Arenas incident.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/01/05/karl.malone.arenas/index.html

 

[pdxKingsFan]

No, I couldn't crack safes when I was a kid, I guess I was behind the curve in that way.

If I wasn't supposed to be in something I got in there. Could I "crack" a safe, no but I could find a key or where the combo was hidden. And it gets even worse for well privileged kids in my experience.

Not to mention that even if everything is perfect and foolproof, we as humans occasionally absentmindedly screw up and leave things unlocked or even wide open.

 

[Superman]

How about it making absolutely no sense? I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's a lie.

I'll let you live on the wild side. I'm perfectly okay with basing my opinion on what has been said/proven, rather than pure speculation.

 

[PurpleHaze]

As far as gun offenses are concerned, that is minor. Very minor. He had a gun that he legally owns and was registered where he lives in his car while he was driving in another state. It was unloaded in that case as well. It was a misdemeanor, he paid the fine, and that was that. Not a big deal.

Constantly making excuses and apparently lying is not minor. Still, I agree with much of what you say.

But as a long-time gun owner who was trained in firearms, going through hunter safety course at a very young age, I have zero sympathy for Agent Zero after this latest more serious episode.

As others have said here, problem-child Arenas needs to grow up and apparently only way that's going to happen is lowering the "boom" on him by authorities in the District of Columbia, by the NBA and by the Washington Wizards.

 

[Superman]

I don't know about PurpleHaze or you, Supes, but I've moved states a half dozen times in my day and I can tell you I "forgot" to do plenty of things I was supposed to upon relocating. I could never remember to get a new driver's license until my old one expired or I had to register my car, of course you're supposed to do that within 5 days but it usually took me a few months, around the time my old tags expired. I know I'm not the only one who forgets these things either, and I'm a pretty normal law-abiding, even law-fearing citizen.

I still have billing statements going to an old address. A friend lives there now, so it's not a big deal, but I never got around to changing the mailing address on that account. Maybe I'll do that right now.

 

[Superman]

Constantly making excuses and apparently lying is not minor. Still, I agree with much of what you say.

But as a long-time gun owner who was trained in firearms, going through hunter safety course at a very young age, I have zero sympathy for Agent Zero after this latest more serious episode.

As others have said here, problem-child Arenas needs to grow up and apparently only way that's going to happen is lowering the "boom" on him by authorities in the District of Columbia, by the NBA and by the Washington Wizards.

I don't have any sympathy for him. He's an idiot, and he deserves whatever he gets. I just don't think that we're talking about a shootout at the OK Corral, the way some are making it out to be. Yeah, guns are dangerous, and yeah it was stupid that they were waving guns around, loaded or not, but the situation being what it apparently was, with no one getting hurt, I don't think it's the worst thing that's ever happened, and I don't think the NBA will ban him for life. I could be wrong, but that seems like a bit much.

 

[PurpleHaze]

There is a very interesting column by Karl Malone (pro-guns and proud member of that association) on the Arenas incident.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/01/05/karl.malone.arenas/index.html

I had previously read Malone's extremely wise and heart-felt comments. I urge everyone one who is participating in or reading this thread to consider his perspective because it's exactly 100% the way I feel. Thanks for providing the link!

 

[Vlade4GM]

I'll let you live on the wild side. I'm perfectly okay with basing my opinion on what has been said/proven, rather than pure speculation.

Actually I think Arenas admitted that the guns were displayed as part of a joke. I don't know if that proves he brought them there with the intent of a joke, but it certainly doesn't coincide with the other motive, which was based on safety.

 

[Vlade4GM]

I don't have any sympathy for him. He's an idiot, and he deserves whatever he gets. I just don't think that we're talking about a shootout at the OK Corral, the way some are making it out to be. Yeah, guns are dangerous, and yeah it was stupid that they were waving guns around, loaded or not, but the situation being what it apparently was, with no one getting hurt, I don't think it's the worst thing that's ever happened, and I don't think the NBA will ban him for life. I could be wrong, but that seems like a bit much.

A lifetime ban for Arenas is too much as far as I'm concerned. However, I do think the Wizards should pursue getting his contract voided for the obvious practical reasons, although I doubt they could pull it off. That I think would send a very clear message to the NBA players that they are not immune.