When Ja Morant first appeared with a gun in hand last March, he was the first player we thought of: Gilbert Arenas. Confirmed All-Star and leader of the Wizards at the material time, Arenas “gunned down” his career by bringing weapons into the Washington locker room. Initially, a dispute with his teammate Javaris Crittenton for a history of poker debts, and the NBA hit hard: a suspension of 50 matches!
Now 41 years old, the former “Agent Zero” is better placed than anyone to comment on this sad slippage, and especially this recurrence. At first, like some, Arenas thought Morant’s second video was just old footage resurfacing. At first no…
To read >> The arms affair at the Wizards told by Gilbert Arenas
“Once I realized it was a new video, there was nothing else to say… Keeping doing the same things is a way of looking at how invincible we are” believes the former All-Star, questioned by the New York Times.
For him, the two situations are incomparable. “It’s different because personally I don’t have any problems in my everyday life. I had problems at my workplace”. But on arrival, this misconduct will leave an indelible mark. Forever the name of Arenas is linked to these weapons placed in a locker in the locker room. Morant must prepare for it.
“We want the person to change their behavior, but we don’t accept it when they do”
“I think it affected, and I don’t mean my heritage, but my name,” continues Arenas, who had lost his contract with adidas. “It really affected him. I said it at the time, the most disappointing thing about all of this is that I did 100 things well. I did one bad thing and that’s what everyone remembers. That’s what hurts the most. »
What Arenas also regrets is that a change in behavior and a punishment do not change anything. Forever, we remain the one who has sinned. “We always throw around this sentence: ‘Be responsible for your actions'”, concludes Arenas. “But do we allow this person to be really responsible for his actions? When we see, ‘OK, he never touched a gun again. He has never exhibited the same behavior as wanting to be in contact with weapons. He never looked at a weapon”. Why then keep reminding the world that’s what he did? We want the person to change their behavior, but we don’t accept it when they do. »
| Gilbert Arenas | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2001-02 | GOS | 47 | 25 | 45.3 | 34.5 | 77.5 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 10.9 |
| 2002-03 | GOS | 82 | 35 | 43.1 | 34.8 | 79.1 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 3.2 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 18.3 |
| 2003-04 | WAS | 56 | 37 | 39.2 | 37.5 | 74.8 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 19.3 |
| 2004-05 | WAS | 80 | 41 | 43.1 | 36.5 | 81.4 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 25.5 |
| 2005-06 | WAS | 80 | 42 | 44.7 | 36.9 | 82.0 | 0.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 6.1 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 0.3 | 29.3 |
| 2006-07 | WAS | 74 | 40 | 41.8 | 35.1 | 84.4 | 0.8 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 28.5 |
| 2007-08 | WAS | 13 | 33 | 39.8 | 28.2 | 77.1 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 0.1 | 19.4 |
| 2008-09 | WAS | 2 | 31 | 26.1 | 28.6 | 75.0 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 10.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 13.0 |
| 2009-10 | WAS | 32 | 37 | 41.1 | 34.8 | 73.9 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 7.2 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 0.3 | 22.6 |
| 2010-11* | All Teams | 70 | 26 | 36.6 | 29.7 | 78.4 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 10.8 |
| 2010-11* | ENT | 49 | 22 | 34.4 | 27.5 | 74.4 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 8.0 |
| 2010-11* | WAS | 21 | 35 | 39.4 | 32.4 | 83.6 | 0.3 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 5.6 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 17.3 |
| 2011-12 | SAME | 17 | 12 | 40.6 | 33.3 | 70.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 4.2 |
| Total | 553 | 35 | 42.1 | 35.1 | 80.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 20.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
