Jan. 2, 2010

Agent says Crittenton didn't have firearm; sources say Arenas didn't point guns

By Ken Berger | CBSSports.com Senior Writer
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As more details emerged Saturday about Gilbert Arenas' involvement with firearms in the Washington Wizards locker room, the agent for the player Arenas clashed with told CBSSports.com that his client did not wield a gun during the altercation.

Mark Bartelstein, the Chicago-based agent who represents Javaris Crittenton, said his client was not in possession of a firearm at Verizon Center during the Dec. 21 argument that landed Arenas, a three-time All-Star, under intense scrutiny from the league, criminal authorities and his own team.

Gilbert Arenas said Saturday that he will meet with law enforcement officials on Monday. (Getty Images)

Bartelstein dismissed as "wild speculation" the various reports indicating that Crittenton, 22, was in possession of a gun during the locker room dispute. Arenas has not directly addressed the events that put him under investigation by league and criminal authorities for having firearms in his locker -- a clear violation of NBA rules and possibly punishable under the District of Columbia's strict gun control laws. Arenas initially said he'd brought the weapons to the locker room because he no longer wanted them in his home.

After initially mocking media accounts of the incident, Arenas said Saturday, "That's bad judgment on my part to store them in here, and I take responsibility for that."

Arenas, 27, does not have an agent. His defense attorney, Ken Wainstein, declined to comment until the legal process moves forward.

Two people with knowledge of the situation corroborated some of the details that have been reported about the Arenas-Crittenton disagreement, which played out over three days as the team returned from a road game in Phoenix last month.

The players got into an argument on the team flight to Washington on Dec. 19, apparently over a card game, the sources told CBSSports.com. The team was off on Dec. 20, but the hostilities continued before a practice at Verizon Center on Dec. 21.

What happened next included the following exchange, according to one of the sources: In the midst of the argument, Arenas removed as many as three firearms from his locker, placed them on Crittenton's chair and said, "Pick one." Crittenton became angry and said, "Stop your games," then knocked the weapons off the chair.

The sources did not know Arenas' intentions and did not know whether the firearms were loaded.

"I can't speak on that," Arenas said Saturday, when asked if guns were drawn. "But if you know me, you've been here, I've never did anything [involving] violence. Anything I do is funny -- well, it's funny to me."

A statement issued by the Wizards on Dec. 24 -- after CBSSports.com reported that Arenas was under investigation for firearms possession -- said the weapons were not loaded, nor were they accompanied by ammunition when they were stored in a locked container in Arenas' locker. Wizards officials disclosed the presence of firearms to the NBA security department and met with D.C. authorities on the morning of Dec. 24 to inform them of the situation.

People who have been briefed on the confrontation cautioned that facts were still emerging and said more details would become public once the parties begin sharing information with law enforcement, a process that is expected to progress quickly.

The Wizards (10-21) will navigate this maelstrom amid growing pressure to rid themselves of Arenas, whose off-court antics have gone from endearing to divisive. Pressure already was building before this incident for general manager Ernie Grunfeld, who signed Arenas to a six-year, $111 million contract in July 2008 after Arenas had played only 13 games the prior season due to knee injuries. Arenas played only two games last season, and this year has run the point for one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA.

Depending on the findings of NBA security and D.C. authorities, the Wizards' options may be limited to a trade. Such a resolution will be exceedingly difficult to pull off, considering Arenas' injury history, his current legal problems and the $68 million remaining on his contract over the next three seasons after this one. Team officials are said to be weighing their options regarding Arenas while the legal and NBA investigations unfold.

Possessing firearms on team property is a violation of Article VI, Section 9 of the collective bargaining agreement. Violators are subject to punishment under Article 35(d) of the NBA Constitution, which calls for up to a $50,000 fine and/or a suspension of definite or indefinite length. The punishment is at the discretion of NBA commissioner David Stern, who has taken a hard stance against firearms and will be under intense pressure to deliver severe discipline in such a high-profile case. Even if the firearms were not loaded or pointed at anyone, those familiar with the commissioner's attitude toward guns believe he will not be inclined to soften the punishment. In fact, the league's firearms policy does not differentiate between loaded and unloaded guns.

The Uniform Player Contract also includes provisions for terminating a player's contract if he commits acts of "moral turpitude" or engages in certain "prohibited activities." The NBA Players Association would strenuously contest such a move, which seems highly unlikely in this case. Acts of moral turpitude are defined legally as serious transgressions, such as violent crimes. Prohibited activities are strictly defined as those exposing the player to "substantial risk of bodily injury," including boxing, riding a motorcycle or moped, and operating an aircraft.

Any conviction for a "violent felony" would subject the player to a minimum 10-game suspension under Article VI, Section 7 of the CBA, but in and of itself would not expose the player to having his contract voided.

That would be too easy for the Wizards, whose best player has become their worst nightmare in a season that must feel like a bad dream. But unlike Arenas' comical persona and multiple alter egos, this turn of events is all too real.