Video Exists of Arena/Crittenden incident

[indeedproceed]

via BDL quoting TMZ. Link.

We're told the Washington Wizards have told D.C. cops they have locker room surveillance video but are having trouble downloading it. The Geek Squad -- aka computer-savvy detectives -- are going to the Wizards organization today to help.

And get this -- a source connected with the investigation tells TMZ the Wizards have been "over cooperative" with cops -- as the source says, "almost as if they want Arenas to go down."

The source says "there is a better than 50/50 chance the U.S. Attorney will issue a felony arrest warrant against Arenas."

As for what caused the confrontation that allegedly triggered a gun standoff -- law enforcement tells TMZ it was all over a card game known as Bourré.

The NBA suspended Arenas indefinitely yesterday and, as we first reported, Arenas didn't have a license for the guns.

Honestly, when this is all over, the Wizards are going to look super scummy, just like when the knicks got done with Isiah and Marbury. The Wizards might rid themselves of this contract and Gil might face felony charges, but he'll walk, and he'll resign and people will forgive him. He's proven he's charismatic, he'll right himself in a year or two.

The Wizards though are going to have a hard time with players and media after the initial unpleasantness from Arenas leaves. When Gilbert is all contrition and new team, the only thing people will remember is that Washington bailed on him.

[Eja117]

i don't know. The guy has changed the story like three times. I'll wait till the video comes out

[wdleehi]

From the little things I keep hearing when they talk about this, there is not a lot of support from other players. 


I don't think they like the idea that someone would bring deadly weapons to a lockerroom.  I heard in one report, a player (who did not want to be named) basically said that the locker room was suppose to be their safe haven.


I think if the Wiz do get out of this contract, it will not have a negative impact on how other players see the Wiz.

[fairweatherfan]

Washington absolutely wants to build a case to void Gilbert's contract now, and felony charges would be a big boost to their ability to do so.  They'll bend over backwards to help the Feds at this point.  I agree this will not help their morale one bit, but they're on the verge of blowing up that team anyway.

What's bizarre about the whole thing is that Arenas apparently wasn't even involved in the gambling debt - it was Crittenton who owed Javale McGee money apparently, and Gilbert was just teasing him about disputing the debt.  I think Arenas was just goofing around in an extremely stupid way, and it's gonna cost him a ton of money one way or another.

[nickagneta]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

[Fafnir]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

Marbury got his money. Taking away most of Gilbert's is a completely different circumstance.

[indeedproceed]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

Marbury got his money. Taking away most of Gilbert's is a completely different circumstance.

Also Marbury they left lingering on the bench for an entire year. Maybe it's a New York thing, because nobody cares about Jamaal Tinsley.

Gotta say though, everytime an organization pushes out a player you kind of feel there is an implicit break of trust. It's just a theory but it makes sense to me. People love to hate the big guy, they love a comeback story, but nobody 3 years from now is going to remember that the Wiz saved a bunch of money. They're going to remember that Gilbert lost everything and rebounded nicely with another squad.

They're also not going to remember that Gilbert signed a 110 million dollar contract then promptly sat out 2 seasons injured while the Wiz paid him. Nobody remembers what Goliath did for David, they just remember the big bully picking on the little guy.

[celticsclay]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

Marbury got his money. Taking away most of Gilbert's is a completely different circumstance.

Also Marbury they left lingering on the bench for an entire year. Maybe it's a New York thing, because nobody cares about Jamaal Tinsley.

Gotta say though, everytime an organization pushes out a player you kind of feel there is an implicit break of trust. It's just a theory but it makes sense to me. People love to hate the big guy, they love a comeback story, but nobody 3 years from now is going to remember that the Wiz saved a bunch of money. They're going to remember that Gilbert lost everything and rebounded nicely with another squad.

They're also not going to remember that Gilbert signed a 110 million dollar contract then promptly sat out 2 seasons injured while the Wiz paid him. Nobody remembers what Goliath did for David, they just remember the big bully picking on the little guy.

I think people are underestimating the high likelyhood that Gilbert goes to Jail. If he goes to jail I don't think anyone is holding ill will toward the wizards.

[PierceMVP08]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

Marbury got his money. Taking away most of Gilbert's is a completely different circumstance.

Also Marbury they left lingering on the bench for an entire year. Maybe it's a New York thing, because nobody cares about Jamaal Tinsley.

Gotta say though, everytime an organization pushes out a player you kind of feel there is an implicit break of trust. It's just a theory but it makes sense to me. People love to hate the big guy, they love a comeback story, but nobody 3 years from now is going to remember that the Wiz saved a bunch of money. They're going to remember that Gilbert lost everything and rebounded nicely with another squad.

They're also not going to remember that Gilbert signed a 110 million dollar contract then promptly sat out 2 seasons injured while the Wiz paid him. Nobody remembers what Goliath did for David, they just remember the big bully picking on the little guy.

Players quit on teams, demand trades, refuse to play, etc.  I'm most definitely on the team's side in this situation (how could you not bt? Not saying you aren't indeedproceed).  Sometimes these guys act like their invincible and lots of them have no sense of loyalty.  Why would the team stand by guys like Arenas, Marbury or Tinsley?

[indeedproceed]

I don't think the Wizards are going to suffer any bad PR or rep in the mind of free agents or agents of players over doing everything they can to get this contract voided. New York did all that stuff and a short time later it's not like Lebron, Bosh, Wade, Amare, Joe Johnson et al are saying they are ruling out signing with the Knicks because of the way they treated Isiah and Marbury.

Marbury got his money. Taking away most of Gilbert's is a completely different circumstance.

Also Marbury they left lingering on the bench for an entire year. Maybe it's a New York thing, because nobody cares about Jamaal Tinsley.

Gotta say though, everytime an organization pushes out a player you kind of feel there is an implicit break of trust. It's just a theory but it makes sense to me. People love to hate the big guy, they love a comeback story, but nobody 3 years from now is going to remember that the Wiz saved a bunch of money. They're going to remember that Gilbert lost everything and rebounded nicely with another squad.

They're also not going to remember that Gilbert signed a 110 million dollar contract then promptly sat out 2 seasons injured while the Wiz paid him. Nobody remembers what Goliath did for David, they just remember the big bully picking on the little guy.

I think people are underestimating the high likelyhood that Gilbert goes to Jail. If he goes to jail I don't think anyone is holding ill will toward the wizards.

I agree with that.

But if Gilbert gets the felon conviction but only probation, and WAS still pursues voiding his contract...I don't see the Wiz coming out well.

Players quit on teams, demand trades, refuse to play, etc.  I'm most definitely on the team's side in this situation (how could you not bt? Not saying you aren't indeedproceed).  Sometimes these guys act like their invincible and lots of them have no sense of loyalty.  Why would the team stand by guys like Arenas, Marbury or Tinsley?

The only way I don't agree with the team (and i understand you're not saying I side with Arenas) is that they should've suspended him immediately after they heard about teh incident. They waited until Gilbert acted stupidly (shocker) and the NBA suspended him.

What I'm saying is that the team will be doing whats best for its self on a bad contract, that's what people will see I think. Gilbert did something really stupid here, but people love a comeback story. He'll be back.

I can't wait to see the video. I want to see if it comes off as a joke or as a threatening gesture.

[nickagneta]

Money talks IP.

And if the Wizards do everything possible to make sure Gilbert gets a bad outcome here and gets out of the contract, they will have tens of millions of dollars to spend. There is no way that agents or players steer clear of Washington's money simply because they did what they could to make sure they got out of a contract of a guy that brought guns into the locker room, maybe committed a felony and then acted like a spoiled, immature, irresponsible, petulant clown over the situation.

I think in the long run, business is business and agents and players realize that Washington had to do what was in their best interest. Do you honestly believe good upstanding citizens like Ray Allen, Manu Ginobelli, Grant Hill, and players like that are going to think "Well they screwed over Gilbert so they are apt to screw over me too."? Or do you think they are more likely to think "This is a business and Washington did what they did to get rid of a known, and maybe dangerous, malcontent. I'm a good guy and they don't do that to good people. They never have before, this is obviously a one time thing because of who they were dealing with. Guess I should call Ernie Grunfeld back and tell him I'll take that $40 million contract now."?

Washington will not suffer and hurt themselves in dealings with players and agents over this. Money talks, BS walks. Agent Zero is obviously full of BS.