Gilbert Arenas to be Suspended Remainder of Season
(Bloomberg) -- Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas will be suspended for the rest of the National Basketball Association season following his guilty plea on gun charges involving a locker-room showdown over gambling debts, the Washington Post reported.
Arenas, who has been suspended indefinitely without pay since Jan. 6, told NBA Commissioner David Stern he would instruct the players' union not to fight the suspension and Stern plans to abide by the player's request for a rest-of-the- season ban, the newspaper said, citing a person familiar with the situation.
Arenas played in 32 games of the 82-game season before Stern's initial action.
The case began with an argument over money teammate Javaris Crittenton lost to Arenas in a card game on a Dec. 19 team flight from Phoenix, which ended up with both players displaying weapons in the team's Verizon Center locker room, the Post reported, citing multiple unidentified people.
Arenas, 28, pleaded guilty on Jan. 15 to a felony charge of carrying a weapon in the District of Columbia without a license and faces sentencing on March 26. Prosecutors said that they won't seek more than a six-month sentence, though the crime carries a maximum prison term of five years.
