That’s all there is to it. We can forget all the racial talk, all the societal problem stuff, and everything else. This has nothing to do with race, or hip hop music, or tattoos, or any other subject du jour. Here’s all we need to know:
1. Gilbert Arenas brought guns to his workplace
2. He got busted
3. He joked about it on TWITTER of all things
4. He has been suspended without pay indefinitely
If you or I tried number one on that list, we’d have been fired immediately, and led out of the building by security. And then we’d likely have been arrested soon after. Not because of our race, or any tattoos we might have, or whatever, but because YOU DON’T BRING GUNS TO THE WORKPLACE! This is not an NBA thing, or a black thing, or any thing but a stupid thing. That’s it. no more, no less. We don’t need to have a reprise of every racial controversy, with every cable news network going all black all the time for a straight week.
He’s out indefinitely, likely for the whole season, because he was stupid. Period. Sure, the whole athlete entitlement thing probably had more than a little to do with it. But it was mainly stupidity. There are hundreds of other NBA players, many of whom are carrying guns, who know not to bring them to the locker room. Stephen Jackson of all people came out and chastised Gilbert. When Stephen Jackson is getting on you about guns, and no one finds it absurd, then you’ve done something really dumb.
And yes, the Wizards should find whatever loophole they can and void his contract. Not necessarily because of this, but because it’s not working out on the court for Gilbert right now either and this gives them a convenient excuse to cut bait and move on. Yes, it’s cruel, but it’s business and not personal. Gilbert no longer delivers on the court in a way that justifies putting up with his crap, so if you can rid yourself of him, you do. It’s pretty hard to win a title when your most important player is an idiot. Prove me wrong if you can.