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 Agent Zero, pka Gilbert Arenas, is feeling the wrath of the NBA, who announced Wednesday (January 6) that he has been suspended "indefinitely" following his highly publicized gun controversy.
On December 21, at the Verizon Center in DC, the NBA star brought four guns into the team's locker room, in a supposed joke with teammate Javaris Crittenton, following an argument (over a gambling debt) between the two on the team's plane two days earlier. This, coupled with the previous reports of Arenas storing guns in his locker, has gotten the Wizards guard into hot water with the NBA.
In a statement on Wednesday, NBA commissioner David Stern said Arenas' ongoing conduct "has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA."
Stern initially wanted to wait before handing down a punishment until their investigation was over and the legal issues were resolved, but said the league changed their mind because of Arenas' subsequent behavior.
"I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia," Stern said. "For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action."
Since the controversy began on Christmas Day, Arenas spent his time tweeting about it with countless jokes, calling the media coverage inaccurate. But, in a statement on Monday, he was took a more serious approach, saying he now knew how serious his actions were, apologizing to the Wizards, his teammates and the NBA for his "serious lapse in judgment," and promised to do better in the future.
"Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong," Arenas said in the statement. "I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there's no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns -- even if unloaded."
But his pregame skit Tuesday (January 5) -- where he pretended to "shoot" his teammates with his fingers before their in Philadelphia -- sent the NBA over the edge.
In Stern's statement, he said that Arenas faces "a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse" from the league, after the legal investigation is over. "Worse" could mean the Arenas' termination from the NBA, and would void his $111 million contract with the Wizards that he signed in 2008.
Doesn't look good for Arenas. Hopefully, things can be worked out, because Agent Zero remains one of the best players in the league, even with the string of injuries he's suffered over the past few years.
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