Arenas defecated in Teammates shoe?

deception · Jan 13, 2010

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/09/AR2010010902200.html

At Gilbert Arenas Sr.'s lowest, the three days in 1989 when he and his young son lived out of the back of his Mazda RX-7 in North Hollywood, Calif., he first began to notice the pattern. It didn't matter what his boy did -- smiled, pouted, acted silly -- people took a liking to him, wanted to help the child out.

"I don't know who you are or where you're trying to get at, but here, here's some money," a woman said after knocking on their car window. "She said, 'Good luck to you and your son,' and gave me $25," Arenas Sr. said. "True story."

His future boss was so taken by the 7-year-old who came to a job interview, because the elder Arenas could not find or afford a baby-sitter, Arenas Sr. found work without ever being asked a question in the interview. Within days of driving cross-country and having run out of cash, the single father somehow also found an apartment and summer day care. "Gilbert was my good-luck piece," he said. "Everywhere I went, people fell in love with him and wanted to do things for us."
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There is a sentiment among people close to the Wizards organization -- few of whom spoke on the record, given the sensitive nature of the situation -- that the team's upper management, team President Ernie Grunfeld in particular, covered for Arenas and coddled him for too long. "There are a lot of people responsible for this, other than" Arenas, one person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity because the individual could not speak on behalf on the Wizards organization.

Former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan and his staff privately intimated they felt undermined by Grunfeld when it came to matters of discipline with Arenas. Arenas, a notorious practical joker, often crossed the line of acceptable decorum. The example often cited was how Arenas once defecated in teammate Andray Blatche's shoe during Blatche's rookie season. His behavior often went unchecked and unpunished, said a former team employee on condition of anonymity.

The employee said Arenas would get fined for breaking team rules -- such as being late for practices or team flights -- and Arenas would sometimes have his money returned. Jordan tried to push Arenas to be a better defender. But one former coach said Jordan inevitably felt that wouldn't happen after a game against Portland, when Arenas was held to just nine points -- coming 41 shy of his stated goal of reaching 50. After the game, Arenas complained that Jordan's focus on defense kept him from scoring the way he wanted.

Jordan called the called the criticism "ludicrous" and questioned Arenas's leadership skills. Jordan and Arenas met to clear the air a few days later, but instead of backing the coach, Grunfeld said at the time, "In the heat of the moment, a lot of things get said but Gil's won a lot of games for us and he'll continue to win a lot of games for us."
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Asked if his son was enabled by the organization, Gilbert Arenas Sr. said: "It depends on what it was that they allowed him to get away with. Not being serious about certain things that they needed, not being the leader they wanted him to be, it depends. It all boils down to him signing that large contract," he added of the $111 million contract Arenas signed in July 2008. "Before he signed that, he was a major investment they didn't want to lose.

"Now, did Ernie try to protect Gil in this case? That's an interesting question. And as much as I love my son, at some point the franchise is more important than Gilbert."

An NBA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the team provided support to Arenas -- including professional counseling.
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After former Wizard Awvee Storey and Arenas got into a wrestling match during practice two years ago, Arenas promised revenge. Posing as his teammate on the road, he entered Storey's hotel room, copied his car key and express-mailed the key back to the District, where his friend promptly put Storey's car up on blocks in the arena garage.

When Storey returned to the locker room, ashen-faced over the theft of his wheels, Arenas rolled one of his rims across the locker room. He did the same to Nick Young during the Wizards guard's rookie season, "until I pleaded for him to give me my wheels back," Young said Friday night after the Wizards won their first game since Arenas's suspension. "That's just Gilbert. You have to know him. He's not a malicious guy, he's a good guy that just does some crazy things."

"Gilbert was like the kid in class the teacher liked too much to send to the office," Jason Richardson, Arenas's former teammate while with the Golden State Warriors, said during a 2007 interview.
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A person close to Arenas said Stern's suspension might have been a blessing in disguise, saving Arenas from further condemnation. He had apparently scripted an even more elaborate -- and uncouth -- opening for the next night in Cleveland, in which he would affect a gimp-legged walk like John Wayne and draw at 10 paces with Young, his also-playful teammate.

"We talked about it," Young acknowledged Friday night.
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speeds · Jan 13, 2010

Hard not to compare him to Marbury at this point...

deception · Jan 13, 2010

read the entire story using the link because its funny as hell and depressing at the same time to hear about a superstar player squander his god given abilities

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Arenas defecated in Teammates shoe?

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Arenas defecated in Teammates shoe?

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