The gigantic Washington Wizards banner featuring Gilbert Arenas on the 6th Street NW side of Verizon Center came down Thursday, one more sign that the team is moving forward without the star guard following his indefinite suspension by NBA commissioner David Stern.
The Wizards (11-22) will take the court for the second time without Arenas on Friday against the Southeast Division-leading Orlando Magic (24-11). But in the fallout from the reported gun incident in the team locker room involving teammate Javaris Crittenton, Arenas' departure from the team could last much longer.
Crittenton was at the center of a Washington Post report Thursday that cited two eyewitnesses who said during the Dec. 21 dispute that Crittenton responded to Arenas -- who had put four guns next to Crittenton's locker -- by "brandishing his own firearm, loading the gun and chambering a round."
In the report, Crittenton said via text messages that the account was "false."
"We have no comment," said Crittenton's agent, Mark Bartelstein, when asked Thursday about the report and whether his client had been summoned to speak with law enforcement authorities. Bartelstein said previously that there was no wrongdoing on Crittenton's part. "Nothing's changed."
The Wizards said there was no truth to a TMZ.com report that video existed of the confrontation because there is no video surveillance of the locker room.
Eric Fleisher, who represents Wizards forward Andray Blatche and has been an NBA agent for more than 30 years, said players and their guns have long been a concern, but he doesn't believe there's a hidden epidemic of personal firearms on NBA property.
"This isn't anything new," said Fleisher. "But in terms of it being in the locker room, I haven't heard it before. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but I haven't heard it before."
Meanwhile, Arenas isn't allowed to practice or appear at games following his suspension, which was swiftly handed down after a stunt prior to Tuesday's game in Philadelphia, where he pretended to shoot his teammates with his hands. The other Wizards players who took part in the antics also were to be punished internally by the club.
The incident came on the heels of repeated flippant remarks by Arenas in the preceding days that appeared to disregard the seriousness of his case.
Stern used the power granted by a 2005 strengthening of the NBA collective bargaining agreement that made players who had guns on team property subject to league punishment before the completion of any criminal case.
In addition, the team may try to void the remainder of Arenas' six-year, $111 million contract. He will forfeit about $180,000 per game or $9.2 million should he be suspended for the remainder of the season.
The National Basketball Players Association, which could come to his defense should the team pursue that route, said in part on Wednesday: "At the conclusion of these investigations we will determine the appropriate action to take on Gilbert's behalf."
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