Last month, Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was suspended for the rest of the season without pay due to locker room antics involving some of his guns. Arenas pleaded guilty to a felony weapons possession charge, while his teammate, Javaris Crittendon, was also suspended for the rest of the season for taking part in the incident.In an effort to redeem himself and repair his image, Arenas wrote a column for the Washington Post, detailing his remorse and his rededication to being a positive role model for children:
"I understand the importance of teaching nonviolence to kids in today's world. Guns and violence are serious problems, not joking matters -- a lesson that's been brought home to me over the past few weeks. I thought about this when I pleaded guilty as charged in court and when I accepted my NBA suspension without challenge.
That message of nonviolence will be front and center as I try to rebuild my relationship with young people in the D.C. area. I know that won't happen overnight, and that it will happen only if I show through my actions that I am truly sorry and have learned from my mistakes. If I do that, then hopefully youngsters will learn from the serious mistakes I made with guns and not make any of their own.
I am trying hard to right my wrongs. The one that will be hardest to make right is the effect my actions have had on kids who see NBA players as role models."
Along with losing out on his NBA salary, Adidas also dropped Arenas, which could cost him millions. Regardless, during his suspension, Arenas said, his focus will be on the kids:
"The relationship I have with young fans is very important to me. I realize now how easily I can damage it. I have to earn that respect and work to deserve it each and every day. I plan to do that work by partnering with public officials and community groups to teach kids to avoid trouble and learn from their mistakes, to strive for success by working hard and persevering, and to try to make the right choices."
Comments: (9)
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By: Tiffany on 2/02/2010 10:50AM
Okay,I believe in forgiveness, but what I don't understand is the level of ignorance. OMG! You have a dream career, great health, loving family and a killer paycheck, what is the deal? I am sooooooo sick of hearing about "mistakes". This was just plain stupidity. Sorry, if he does come back to the NBA he should lose 50% of his salary and starting position. Give another person the opportunity to shine and actually be appreciative.
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By: Warren on 2/08/2010 11:50PM
Totally agree! These clowns have no clue as to how fortunate they are, or how many wanna-be athletes out here would kill for the chance to do what they do! I have absolutely NO sympathy for this jerk, or any other pro athelete who is too stupid to appreciate what they have, and act accordingly.
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By: Martin Muhammad on 2/02/2010 11:48AM
I have to agree with Tiffany. These Pro-ballers have it all and it seems to be one after the other with there "mistakes". We all know what would happen if we "regular-people" pulled a gun at work, boss wouldn't be talking suspended for the rest of the season without pay mess. Gilbert Arenas needs to go away, his type has left a bad taste on the sport that I use to love.
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By: rick on 2/02/2010 12:34PM
Yo Gil your done you have no excuse, please go away!!!
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By: OOOZZZZZ on 2/02/2010 12:41PM
Gilbert Arenas, it's a little too late now to be pushing the "I understand the importance of teaching nonviolence to kids" angle now that you have totally screwed up your NBA career and all those guaranteed multi-millions by doing one of the dumbest, i'gant and general lack of common sense things that you can do: bring a gun/weapon to the workplace but not only that act, but to display the weapon the way you did trying in your words "as a joke" and not take it seriously when your NBA employer (who you completely pissed off) completely dismantled your career.
Now you have all the time in the world (without pay & facing federal jail time in D.C.) to think about it.
And he can forget about returning to the NBA. His best bet now is playing somewhere overseas and he will never, ever see that type of money again.
Forget rehab for this guy and all the other dumb idiots. These NBA/NFL/MLB fools never, ever get it and they all think that they are above the fray of everyday life and Gilbert Arenas will not be the last fool to kill his pro career over some dumb sh*t and the sad thing is that as the pro leagues (especially basketball & football) gets older, there are more young, college uneducated (barely finished high school) pro ball players (one year & done in college) entering the NBA and things such as this will continue to escelate the problem like this with the "thug mentatility" that seems to accompany these guys with no proper guidance & direction from mentors and their parents.
And for the suit & tie, White pro leagues corporate elite, they like it just like that: keep em' physically strong and mentally dumb. SLAVES.
As the stats show, 67% of NFL players go broke/file for bankrupty after 3 years out of the league and numerous NBA players (who all have guranteed money contracts, unlike NFL players) go broke from bad habits: grambling, divorce, baby mama drama, massive debt, crime, domestic abuse, no business sense/skills, lack of education, etc so IMO, let the fools fall because as a collective group, they lack common sense, just don't get it or refuse to get it.
And for the ones who get smart, avoid the bullsh*t and continue to prosper, God bless you.
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By: sara on 2/02/2010 2:49PM
Ooozzzz- Your summation is right on point, just a shame this fools never learn from the mistake of the ones before them. Just watch, by the time am done with my post, another vagabond like him will display another embarrassement to the black race..SMH. And I do not want to hear that another ethnic groups do the same and get away with it,the system protects is on their side we all know that, bearing this in mind, why then will all these idiot keep walking into the trap that is in plain view.....common sense is really not common afterall...if it is, well, they'll learn.
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By: jonno on 2/03/2010 11:50AM
He should have played the ball shooter instead of shooting with a real gun.
http://www.myarc8.com/game/ball-shooter
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By: FASTBLACK on 2/03/2010 12:21PM
YEAH WHAT HE UNDERSTANDS IS THAT HE CAN'T DO ANTHING BUT PLAY BALL & THE MONEY AIN'T COMIN' IN. SO, HE'S ALL REPENTENT!! I AIN'T BUYIN' IT...HE HAD A PRIOR GUN CHARGE. THIS ISN'T THE 1ST TIME!
HEY, GIL, CAN YOU SAY .."DO YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?". HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE YOUR NEW CAREER...GET LOST & STOP MAKING IT BAD FOR HARDWORKING BLACK MEN TRYING TO GET AHEAD
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By: Warren on 2/08/2010 11:59PM
Oh....NOW this sorry excuse wants to "focus on the kids" ?! Yeah right.Dude, you're done - like a Thansgiving turkey - your ignorant, maladjusted,semi-retarded a$$ blew career any high school kid would cherish and protect.But your supposedly "grown" behind never left the ghetto playground.
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