Agent Zero Must Be Stopped

Gilbert Arenas is one of the most talented basketball players in the world. He also brings the most drama, disappointment, and sheer stupidity into a league that needs to rid itself of its head cases.  The nine year veteran is a 3-time NBA All-Star, has scored over 10,000 career points and is one of only twenty players to ever score 60 points in game, a feat accomplished against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2006. Few can deny that Arenas, number 0 and therefore dubbed “Agent Zero,” is full of ridiculous talent. The problem is the baggage and embarrassment he brings to the league with regularity. The 2 most current issues involving Arenas include pulling an unlicensed gun hidden in his locker on his teammate, and most recently faking an injury to not play in the Wizards’ preseason home opener this year. How is this tolerated, not by the NBA, but within the Washington Wizards organization?

This past October 12 was the preseason home opener for the Washington Wizards, and fans were excited to see Arenas’ return to the court after a 50-game suspension, ending his previous season. Instead, the superstar chose to fake an injury and pull out of the game in order to let his back-up get some playing time. A noble move some might think, but realistically preseason is when the backups have their time to prove their worth anyways. The fans pay good money to see the superstars and remaining starters get at least some playing time and the players get some real game atmosphere after months of offseason training and practice. Arenas doesn’t care about the fans. If he did, he would at least be willing to play the limited amount the coach would have for him. The Wizards did fine him $50 000, pocket change for a man with a 6-year/$111 million contract, but failed to really punish him by suspending him for any games. (1)

Arenas doesn’t care about his teammates, either. Why else would he pull a gun on his teammate earning him the aforementioned 50-game suspension? According to Arenas, it was part of a practical joke gone wrong in regards to a gambling bet with teammate Javaris Crittenton. Such a good joke it was that Arenas stored 4 unlicensed (though unloaded) guns in his locker prompting Crittenton to pull out his own illegally stored gun and load a bullet in the chamber. (2) If Arenas had any regard for his teammates’ safety, he never would have brought on such danger into the locker room, even if it was a practical joke. Arenas was charged by D.C. authorities and sentenced to 30-days in a halfway house, 2 years of probation, as well as community service. (3)

The NBA has had its issue in the past:

Ron Artest once entered the stands and punched a fan in the face. The Indiana Pacers got rid of him soon afterwards.

Latrell Spreewell once attacked and threatened his coach during a team practice. The Golden State Warriors terminated Spreewell's contract 2 days later.

Arenas’ gun fiasco earned him the third longest suspension in NBA history (50 games), behind the two cases mentioned above (73 and 68, respectively), and still the Wizards refuse to rid themselves of this cancer.

For an organization to be successful, it must have the respect of its players and its fans. Any good organization with a player who illegally hides an unlicensed weapon in the locker room should automatically be kicked off his team, regardless of what sport. Truth be told, the infraction is so dangerous, so careless, so stupid, and setting such a terrible precedent for fans looking to these athletes as role models that Arenas should have been kicked out the league altogether. Instead the Wizards held on to him, thinking they needed talent to win. Fans who bought tickets to the Wizards’ preseason opener are paying for the opportunity to see world class athletes compete. Instead, their hard-earned dollars are being used to pay for the superstar faking an injury and sitting on the sidelines. The fans have no reason to respect the Washington Wizards if they continue to tolerate the abysmal behaviour of their team leader. The players in the locker have no reason to respect upper management that tolerates a player who brings firearms into the workplace. The Wizards owners need to do the team and fans a favour and get rid of Gilbert Arenas for good. And the other owners of NBA franchises need to do the league a service by not signing him when that happens.

aa.

1 http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5689344&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

2 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/sports/basketball/15arenas.html?_r=1

 

3 http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5170358