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.

Latest links/reports on the Arenas gun situation

In case you haven't heard by now, according to multiple sources, Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton apparently had some sort of heated confrontation earlier this season, and the two may have been holding guns during the ordeal. There are conflicting reports out right now about the severity of the confrontation between the two, but here is some of the latest information on the situation.

Marc Stein, ESPN:

A dispute that began on the team plane and resumed more than 24 hours later in the team's locker room between Washington Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton is at the center of an investigation by local and federal authorities into Arenas' recent admission of gun possession on Wizards property, according to sources close to the situation.

Multiple sources told ESPN.com that an argument commenced during a card game on the team's overnight flight back to Washington from Phoenix on Dec. 19 and escalated into a heated exchange between Arenas and Crittenton. The Wizards had Dec. 20 off, but sources say the hostilities resumed Dec. 21 in the locker room on a practice day.

Sources say that Arenas, in response to what was said on the flight, placed three guns he owns on a chair near Crittenton's locker stall and invited him to pick one before practice on Dec. 21. Sources said that Crittenton subsequently let Arenas know that he had his own gun.

Michael Lee, Washington Post:

When contacted by phone on Friday, Arenas's father, Gilbert Sr., also denied that Arenas and Crittenton pulled weapons on each other. "From the respect of guns being pulled in the locker room and at each other, yes, that's ludicrous," Arenas Sr. said. "Him bringing the guns to the locker room to keep away from his kids, that's true. Gil did not pull a gun on anybody. That's about all that I can say."

. . . According to two sources close to the team, Crittenton and Arenas had a disagreement on the team plane on the Wizards flight from Phoenix on Dec. 19. The reason for the dispute is unclear, but it may have been over a card game.

A person who has spoken with Arenas recently said that the incident involving Crittenton was "nothing more than horseplay" and that there was never any intent to physically harm Crittenton. The person also said the argument between Arenas and Crittenton was over "who had the bigger gun."

Surely there's more to come, but I believe these are the two stories with the most up-to-date information. As always, it's a good idea to head over to Bullets Forever and Truth About It for more coverage on this situation and its ramifications.