USA - NBA bans Arenas, Crittenton for rest of season

NEW YORK (NBA) – Washington Wizards duo Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton have been suspended for the remainder of the season by NBA commissioner David Stern.

The two have been punished for having guns in the Wizards’ locker room on December 21.

Stern spoke about the suspensions to NBA TV.

“They had an argument, they followed through on that argument, each appearing with a weapon in an NBA locker room that violates our collective bargaining agreement,” Stern said.

“They’ve been warned about that at the beginning of each season in writing and by a visit by security in team meetings. I just decided that it can’t be tolerated and that each was suspended for the rest of the season.”

The NBA and FIBA are opposed to violence and NBA commissioner Stern takes a zero tolerance approach.

“They put themselves in potential danger, they put their teammates in potential danger,” Stern said.

“It’s nothing we’re going to tolerate.”

When initially handing an indefinite suspension for Arenas, Stern was concerned that the player did not grasp the severity of the situation.

He met with both players this week.

“I believe that they are sincere in their contrition and in their determination that their example is used in a positive way to teach lessons about this," Stern said. "I wouldn’t have done what I have done here if I didn’t believe in their contrition and their sincerity.”

Crittenton has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge while Arenas has pleaded guilty to a felony count of carrying a pistol without a license. Punishment for Arenas’ crime ranges from probation to a maximum of five years in prison.

Prosecutors have recommended that he only serve six months, with sentencing set for March 26 in D.C. Superior Court.

Crittenton was given a year of unsupervised probation and a 1,250 US dollars fine as part of a plea agreement. He was ordered to mentor young people in Washington and aid in relief efforts for victims of the Haitian earthquake.

Stern, accepting that the whole situation has not put the NBA in a good light, said: “My concern, as I look back at this incident, is that the press coverage suggests that this represents our players.

"I know, because I’ve been involved with our players for 40 years, that this doesn’t represent the over 430 players who do extraordinary things not only on the court, but off the court with the most recent example their humanitarian efforts with respect to Haiti.

“I’m hoping that this will be put behind us, we’ll move on. Javaris and Gilbert will move on and we and the union will move on.”

FIBA