Wise provides new information on Arenas gun incident

I woke up this morning hoping to read anything other than another story about Gilbert Arenas and his indefinite suspension. And then Mike Wise had to go all journalist on us and provide the most up-to-date details on what apparently took place in the Wizards' locker room last month.

According to Wise, not only did Arenas bring four unloaded guns to the locker room, but Javaris Crittenton apparently had his own gun -- and actually loaded it in front of teammates. Here's Wise's account of what went down:

The dispute between Arenas and Crittenton began on the team plane during a popular card game between players called "Boo-ray." Crittenton lost roughly $1,100 to JaVale McGee, a Wizards center, in the game, according to a player who watched the game and who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Crittenton, already angry over a dispute over the game's rules, became irate when Arenas began needling him.

Their barbs escalated to a point where Arenas, smiling, said he would blow up Crittenton's car, according to two players on the flight, who requested anonymity. Crittenton replied that he would shoot Arenas in his surgically repaired knee.

Walking into the locker room two days after the dispute on the team plane, according to two witnesses, Arenas laid out the guns in Crittenton's locker. Two other teammates eventually sauntered in and, while Arenas was writing the note in front of Crittenton's cubicle, in walked Crittenton, according to their account.

Asking Arenas what he was doing, Arenas replied, "If you want to shoot me, I'd just thought I'd make it easy for you." As other teammates laughed, Crittenton crumpled up the paper, tossed one of Arenas's guns across the room, where it bounced in front of a team trainer, and said he didn't need any of Arenas's firearms because he had his own, according to the witness accounts.

Crittenton then drew his weapon, loaded it and chambered a round, the witnesses said.

Neither witness said the gun was ever pointed at Arenas, but both said Crittenton began singing as he held the gun.

Arenas began laughing, the witnesses said, telling Crittenton, "Look at that little shiny gun," as two other players slowly retreated to the training room.

Arenas eventually followed. By the time the players came back out, Crittenton was gone.

If this story turns out to be true, it sounds exactly like something the quirky Arenas would do for a laugh. Unfortunately, he took it too far by even thinking about bringing guns into the locker room -- and then doing it. And Crittenton's actions certainly escalated the whole thing.

I hope this story isn't true, but I do trust Wise's reporting.

In the same article, Arenas was quoted in a telephone interview and said:

"I just want to remind [NBA commissioner David Stern] of who I am. I'm the kid who jumped off the trampoline at the all-star game, the kid who throws his jersey to people in the stands. I'm not the hoodlum that's being written and talked about right now.

"I'm sorry for my teammates, the city of Washington, the memory of Mr. Pollin and his family, and all my fans that support me and the game of basketball. I mean that. This shouldn't have happened. It shouldn't have got this far. I know that."

I'm glad Arenas said that, but he should have offered such a statement from the beginning. Now he's going to have to see what punishment Stern comes up with, not to mention the legal action that is surely going to be taken against him.