Things have happened recently.

With apologies to Mugsy Bogues and Manute Bol (who had a soft-spot for gambling, it was written), an account of historical note has recently been relayed to us by the mouth of Gilbert Arenas. Yes, Gilbert Arenas.

This bit of history comes via a USA Today piece regarding how things are ’different’ now for Arenas in Memphis. Basically, it’s Gilly being Gilly… running his mouth as only a self-preserving historical revisionist can. An excerpt from the article pertaining to the now infamous-game of airplane Bourré (Boo-Ray) which ignited a firestorm:

Then-Wizards center JaVale McGee had beaten Crittenton out of $1,100 in a card game. Wizards guard Earl Boykins loaned McGee $200. McGee didn’t immediately pay back Boykins as he won the money and an argument blossomed. Arenas says he wasn’t involved in the actual bet.

” ‘Pay the man his (expletive) money. You’ve got all my money,’ ” Arenas says Crittenton shouted at McGee. “So I jumped in, ‘Why you talking to your teammates like this? We family.’

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Links, commentary, a D.C. photo…

[Key Elementary School - NW Washington, DC - photo: K. Weidie]

Eventually, soon, I would like to make a more comprehensive post regarding Javaris Crittenton’s Tweets on this here site. There’s a problem with his Tweets… in that it’s Twitter. It would be very hard to gather context from each and every one of Crittenton’s Tweets, much less the small sample used for my piece on TrueHoop, or even from any number of people publishing thoughts and ideas on the social media tool.

To put it clearly: Nothing can be gathered, inferred, or deduced from Crittenton’s Tweets. They are simply an additional window into the life of a figure whom so many people are now trying to futilely gain information about. Yes, the Tweets came directly from his mind, but we don’t know what kind of filter he was putting his thoughts through… just like we don’t know what type of filter athletes, or anyone, puts themselves through during interviews and other media interactions.

There is, however, one misconception, or instance that needs more clarity: Crittenton’s six Tweets from the day of the murder in question, August 19.

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“Don’t show that weirdo no love homie.”

That’s what Javaris Crittenton wrote on Twitter in response to a Tweet sent by @TazWube on August 14. A piece I’ve written regarding Crittenton’s now-defunct Twitter account resides on ESPN’s TrueHoop.

Wube is a famed D.C. club promoter with a Wikipedia page that reads like a press release. His exact Tweet:

@TazWube #np Spend it/2 chainz– he says he brings all his guns to work–gibert arenas… Makes me remember I miss Agent O.. 6’4 and unstoppable!!

His “Gibert” Arenas (sans the ‘l’, pronounced GUY-burt) could only play, by means of misspelling, to the potential of Andray Baltche, one would assume.

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CNBC Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell recently revealed that in late December 2009, the NBA suspended production of retro Washington Bullets merchandise as a result of ‘Locker Room Gun-Gate 2009-10: A Gilbert Arenas-Javaris Crittenton-John Wayne-Peter Vecsey Story.’

Now, Rovell reports that, “the league has approved licensees to make retro Bullets items again.”

In TruthAboutIt.net’s never-ending quest to search for the truth, about it, site investigators have discovered the behind the scenes process of removing Washington Bullets retro items from production. The following footage has never been seen before, ever. I’m talking never. Except for now.

Click the image below to begin your journey
(RSS feed readers, you have to actually come to the site … it’s an animated GIF ‘n’ stuff.)

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So Mike James has been written about a couple times lately. And with everything else that’s going on, it’s nice to talk about non-legal, non-14-29 record, basketball-related items. But first, here’s a run-down of everything that’s going on (can’t help myself) …

Such as Javaris Crittenton finally appearing in court, pleading to a misdemeanor gun possession, and being sentenced to one-year probation and a $1,250 fine all in about half-a-day. Oh, and since Gilbert Arenas has owned “hundreds” of guns, we found out about him making fun of Crittenton’s gun because it was little. Good one.

What else? Well, Crittenton’s day in court only created more contradictions, brought to you by Dan Steinberg, and not clarity. My favorite one … the idea the Crittenton dealt with fearing for his life with an unloaded gun. Can we all agree that Javaris got rid of the bullets before turning in the gun? Ok, I’m making an assumption, but that seems like where the smart money is.

And not to forget … the NY Post’s Petey Vescey has come out with a piece today that makes him the undisputed number one challenger to Tony Kornheiser for King of the Pricks. I won’t link to Vescey’s piece, but again, the magnanimous Dan Steinberg tucks Vescey’s tired act into bed with a nice warm glass of …

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It’s all there. Gambling thousands on chartered planes. A certain $111 million point guard ducking out on debt owed to JaVale McGee. Pranks where guns are laid out in a statement of machismo being called “horse-play.”

It all derives from Gilbert Arenas and some of his teammates are becoming increasingly weary of his apathy toward consequences. Hard to believe that this guy has yet to grow up.

It’s all there, even what Ernie Grunfeld might do with the team.

Go read everything at Mike Jones Sports. Our friend, formerly of the Washington Times, has put out the best reported story on the Arenas-Crittenton gun situation yet. What are you waiting for? Go read already.

[Also see what Mike Prada has written at Bullets Forever, 'Trying to make sense of the Gilbert Arenas/Javaris Crittenton incident']

Gilbert Arenas tweeted a lot as he brought in the new year. He acknowledged that his gun thing is serious, but that he doesn’t do serious things. He said the Shaq rumor wasn’t true, but indicated that even so, panties, blowies and massages were supposedly at his disposal. Arenas almost complains about the drama in his life, yet embraces it because it gives him the attention he so seemingly and desperately craves. He was just being the crazy (in a good way) Gilbert we know, but yet don’t quite understand.

There are a couple reasons to document Gilbert Arenas’ first 24-hours of Tweeting. For one, you might not be one of his 13,338 growing army of followers, students in the study of Gilbertology. Secondly, Tweets can be erased. This site isn’t going anywhere. And if it does, there’s still always the Internet Archive: Way Back Machine. Also worth considering: It’s quite possible that Gilbert Arenas will deny that he was behind his January 1st 2010 Tweets (@gilbertarenas is not currently a verified account). But knowing Gil (sorta), I doubt it.

During the height of Arena’s Tweets on New Year’s Day, while many were planting a palm-smack on their forehead or pleading with him to stop, I wanted Gilbert to keep going. Not because it provides good blogging fodder, although it does, but more because Arenas was being allowed to be human. Twitter offers celebrities such as him, and normal folks such as you and I, the unfiltered freedom to share thoughts, etc..

Sure, everyone should be careful what they say in a public venue, but with $111 million dollars on your side, you don’t always have to go tip-toeing over people’s sensitivities when it’s your own life. Who is to say that Arenas must shut himself up? Or speak through a mouthpiece, an agent, such as Drew Rosenhaus … could you imagine if he was involved?

I’m just as pissed about the gun incident as the next passionate Wizards fan. These dudes are messing with the franchise I’ll still follow long after they are gone. I imagine I’ll still write something ripping Arenas and Crittenton once all the facts come out. But folks, Gilbert is not a basketball-playing robot. Plus, his tweets are pretty entertaining, albeit a tad immature, a bit naive, and sorta egotistical. Read more »

When I first learned about Gilbert Arenas and guns on Christmas Eve, way back when it was as “innocent” as him getting the firearms out of his humble, grotto-encased abode because he didn’t want them around his new kid when he already had another kid for a couple years, I tweet-dedicated a Christmas song to him … Onyx, Throw Ya Guns.

This latest news warrants its own playlist. And since the good folks at WizzNutzz are making mixtapes for JaVale McGee, I figure why not join in on the fun.

This one’s for you Gilbert and Javaris. I don’t know much about astrological signs, but it seems like Capricorns don’t get along … especially when it involves gamblin’.

Oh yea, Happy Birthday Javaris. You turned 22 on New Year’s Eve. Hope you woke up feeling well today. Arenas will turn 28 on Wednesday.

Oh, and Gil, I’m sorry that the media is camping outside of your house. On a positive note, you made it man … Whitney Houston levels. If we’re lucky, we’ll get a chopper with live video.

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“The Washington Wizards take this situation and the ongoing investigation very seriously.  We are continuing to cooperate fully with the proper authorities and the NBA and will have no further comment at this time.”

Nothing much here from the franchise, just an acknowledgement.

I was g-mail chatting with Tim Varner of the Spurs blog 48 Minutes of Hell about Wizards and guns earlier. In discussing the inevitability that the real story would have eventually come out (by the way … check out what Mike Jones has to say about this on his new blog), Tim mentioned that it might have been better if the team fully disclosed from the beginning to make it seem like they were taking care of the situation. I might be inclined to agree.

Seems like such a weird/tough thing to handle from media & PR perspective. Perhaps the first instinct is to cover up bad news that is, “unprecedented in the history of sports,” according to the head of the NBA Players’ Association, Billy Hunter. Who knows.

I’ll have some more thoughts on this situation to come.

[via Richmond, VA]

You really have to feel bad for the guy. It seems he’s always been on teams where, especially at his position, the competition is high and the chances are low (well, with the exception of last year). Now he’s forced to wear a boot, his third time donning one this summer, and sit out the next couple of weeks, watching the competition pass him by. Wizards Insider and Wizards Outlet both have some additional details on Crittenton’s injury to his left foot, a double bone bruise and a strained tendon.

It seems like the downside of high competition (if you’re really trying hard to find a negative) has reared it’s head. With so much pressure, Crittenton likely pushed his injury, first experienced in an Atlanta ProAm game in July, more than he would have otherwise. “We tried to speed up the progress of it healing,” he said in reference to each time he’s put on a boot (in Atlanta, in DC before training camp and now), but was never able to get it back to one hundred percent.

He said he’s been able to make it through every practice despite the soreness and pain he was feeling. But on Friday his foot reached its limit and he had to take himself out of practice. The Wizards staff suggested that he get an MRI.

“The MRI came out worse than before,” said Javaris, indicating that it’s one of those injuries that just takes time to heal. He said that continuing to play on the tender ankle would only make it a nagging injury and could possibly lead to surgery.

Crittenton seems a bit down about the set-back, saying “It makes me sick to think about it,” referencing the situation in which the injury occurred (he felt he shouldn’t have been in the game in Atlanta with his team up 12 points in the waning seconds). Hopefully now, he will take the time to heal properly, keep his spirits high, and stay focused. With his length, Flip could turn to him off the bench as a nice change of pace defensively down the road. And in the NBA, another opportunity is always around the corner.

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Last Monday’s Washington Wizards media day seems like such a long time ago.

In addition to me being there, blogging about DeShawn Stevenson’s new tats, the musings of Gilbert Arenas, and the ‘consistent’ goals of Andray Blatche, there was a ton of great coverage from Hoops Addict, Wizards Insider, Wizards Outlet, and Bullets Forever.

Now, after transcribing all of my interview recordings, I wanted to share some of the quotes/pictures that have been relatively unheard/unseen.

{Note: I will be in Richmond for training camp on Saturday and Sunday. There’s limited media access, but I’ll be updating some of the goings-ons via Twitter}

flickr/art crimes

The rumors,  the possibilities … they must be tired because they’ve been running through my mind all night. It’s getting a little crazy leading up to the draft, but bloggers, MSM types, and the Internets wouldn’t have it any other way.

First of all, I’d like to remind the basketball world, despite the fact that 99% of it won’t see this post, that the Wizards are not “desperate“ to shed salary.

I’ll simply point to a Washington Times piece from late March highlighting that owner Abe Pollin would pay the luxury tax in order to win a championship. No, this doesn’t mean Ernie Grunfeld won’t be looking for creative ways to save money, he just won’t be making any wholesale giveaways in the process.

Pollin is 85 and another title is number one, two, three, four and five on his bucket list. Question the validity of Pollin’s edict if you want, but at least give it the respect it deserves. Some people don’t.

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Wizards player evaluations for ‘08-09 continue, up fourth is Javaris Crittenton. My thoughts are below, you can check on the full report on Bullets Forever.

[Previously: Oleksiy Pecherov | Juan Dixon | Etan Thomas]

I really like the move Ernie Grunfeld made to get Javaris Crittenton, even if he doesn’t pan out. GM Gruns turned an over-hyped 2002 40th draft pick, who probably would have barely lasted with the Wizards, as he did with the Grizzlies, into a still developing/promising young point guard taken 19th in the ’07 draft.*

It’s funny, because I think the Wizards need a long distance shooter like Juan Carlos Navarro aka “La Bomba”. And JCN did hit just under two treys per game en route to making the ’07-08 NBA All-Rookie second team, but got those attempting 5.3 in just under 26 minutes per game. So it’s probably good that the Wiz opted out of a gunner who can’t really play defense. Not playing D should only be reserved for starters like Arenas, Jamison and Butler.

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The Wizards lost to the Bulls last night while giving the kiddies floor burn much to the delight of Wizards malcontents who would find negativity in just about anything (and no, despite popular belief, I am not one of those people).

Q1

7:14: Andray Blatche gets blocked by Mehmet Okur…..a very sad scene to witness. Okur barely jumped, if at all, and Andray took it to the hoop like a four-year old girl chasing after a puppy.

4th Minute: JaVale McGee has got a couple nice offensive boards, but doesn’t use his body/leverage to his advantage. He’s trying to be all arms and hops. So on one, he missed a forced hook and on the second, he got blocked byOkur (who the hell is this guy, Mutombo?).

In the first…..Utah’s passing looks good (6 assists on 9 made FGs = Swiss Cheese Wiz D)….but Deron Williams has four turnovers (two on the first two possessions of the game) to only one assist.

2:00: McGee gets an offensive rebound with two hands, keeps the ball high with both hands on it, and gets fouled on a missed attempt….now that’s the way to do things.

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