Flip disputes a report calling Gil 'disruptive'
Washington Wizards head coach Flip Saunders disputed a report from Yahoo! Sports on Sunday that attempted to add another layer to the multi-dimensional controversy facing Gilbert Arenas.
The report asserted that the star point guard has been at odds with Saunders since training camp. Arenas is under investigation by local and federal authorities, as well as the NBA, over an alleged dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton and a recent admission of gun possession on team property.
"Arenas barely talked to coach Flip Saunders in training camp" the story said, and "Arenas became increasingly belligerent and defiant" after the team broke camp, including that "he began to purposely disrupt practices."
"Where they got that information is totally untrue," said Saunders. "He has not been in any kind of a situation along those lines. The situation that's happened, people try to lump a lot of things together. It's really not fair to him."
Arenas, in response to the report, fired back via Twitter on Sunday night, saying, "me and coach Flip talk every other day on the phone or by text..i dont know who ur fake Ratatouille..i havent even talked bac to coach."
It is yet another distraction for the Wizards and Arenas, who said Saturday that he was set to speak with authorities on Monday about the weapons investigation and told reporters that it was a bad idea to bring his guns to Verizon Center. He has claimed to have done that to get them out of his house after the birth of his daughter in early December. It is not known whether the guns were properly licensed or registered.
"That's bad judgment on my part, storing them here, and I take responsibility for that," said Arenas. He did not confirm details that his reported dispute with Crittenton began over a card game during a team flight on Dec. 21 and led him to place three unloaded guns on a chair next to Crittenton's locker two days later.
"We were friends before. We're friends now. We don't have no problem," said Arenas of his relationship with Crittenton.
Crittenton's agent, Mark Bartelstein, has said that he expects his client to ultimately be cleared of any wrongdoing.
The controversy led the family of late Wizards owner Abe Pollin -- who changed the name of the team from Bullets to Wizards because of his concern over gun violence -- to issue a statement at halftime of Saturday's game.
"We will take further steps to ensure this never happens again," said the statement. "We want our fans to know that we will not rest until this situation is resolved and has come to a satisfactory conclusion."
Ted Leonsis, who is expected to take over ownership the Wizards, said after watching the team play from courtside seats on Saturday that he was just back from vacation and didn't know anything about the situation.
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