Culture: Gunplay fail: Gilbert Arenas all jokes even when he shouldn’t be
- It’s not often that a single photo kills an entire career. But in the case of Gilbert Arenas, this photo of him joking around about the gun incident last month – after he was already on thin ice with both the NBA and the law for the incident in the first place – led to an epic indefinite suspension and created controversy around the photo itself. That’s a good photo.
How it screws up Gilbert’s career
- Wizards’ magic trick Arenas has been the franchise star of the Wizards for years, and he’s been something of a train wreck for most of them, partly due to his antics and history as a “jokester,” partly because he’s been injured for most of the last few years. Plus, they suck this season. He’s probably gone.
- Promises of pain NBA commissioner David Stern is a guy who doesn’t screw around and will bring pain onto stars he thinks deserve it (just ask Ron Artest). And when he suggests “or worse” in reference to an indefinite suspension, you know he’s freaking screwed. Don’t screw with David Stern.
- Career-ender?It’s too soon to tell whether the incident will completely screw up what had going with the NBA, but with promises of a trial and the fact that he had guns in Washington, D.C. (which has some of the strictest drug laws in the country), it might be. Or he might be Michael Vick. source
The situation with the photo
- snapped The photo was taken last night before a game. He was joking around with his teammates, making gun symbols with his fingers.
- snatched The next day, the NBA had Getty Images remove the photo from the wire for most of the day. The Washington Post nailed them. source
Gil’s tweets
- I know everybody seen the pre game pics..my teammate thought to break the tention we should do that..but this is gettn way to much
- Gilbert Arenas • Regarding the fate of his fingers, and the incredibly stupid reasoning behind them. Whichever teammate suggested that should be slapped, because he just cost Arenas a career. On a side note, does this guy know when not to tweet? Like, say, when you’re being investigated? source