A couple years ago, I wrote a blog speaking on the iron fist of NBA Commissioner David Stern. The longest-serving commissioner of the major sports, Stern has overseen the many highs and few lows that the league has experience since 1980.
The man who benefited from the emergence of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 80s, the larger-than-life impact of Michael Jordan has also been at the helm for 'Malice at the Palace', the gambling allegations of former referee Tim Donaghy, and the latest incident, the indefinite suspension of Washington Wizards' star guard, Gilbert Arenas.
Although the incident in question remains somewhat murky, the facts remain and stand against Arenas who brought a gun (unloaded) to the Wizards' locker room and allegedly brandished it against his teammate Jarvis Crittendon during a dispute over Arenas' gambling debt. Arenas, who said the gun was taken out as a joke seemed somewhat remorseful over the incident, but his antics afterward seemed to be mocking Stern and the NBA. Big mistake.
The NBA is not a democracy and rarely has been. There is no"'jury of your peers" that can side with a sympathetic defendant. Decisions are made by Stern and levied by Stern, end of story.
Now Arenas has been thrust into the national spotlight for his extreme carelessness. To some, he represents the thug imagery that the NBA has been trying to escape for years. To others, he is yet another egotistical athlete with too much time on his hands and money in his pocket. While Arenas can be accused of the latter, he is definitely not a thug. For those who call themselves avid NBA fans, Arenas is arguably one of the most popular players in the league. From his constant twittering, to his goofy personality, Arenas is beloved by fans across the league. Usually when people talk about what's wrong with the game, Arenas' name rarely comes up.
And now that he's been thrust into the spotlight so negatively, his life and contributions to society will be forgotten. This was a young man, raised by a single father, who at different points in his life, was homeless. Arenas has made huge contributions to local D.C. youth since joining the Wizards and personally mentors a 10-year-old boy who lost his father to gun violence. These will serve as a counterweight to those who will vilify him for his extremely careless decision.
Arenas will now be forever linked with athletes and guns like Plaxico Burress as well as joining Ron Artest as the main culprits for the NBA's two most controversial suspensions. While Artest has been able to revitalize his NBA career, Arenas will now face the same fate after being suspended, possibly until the end of this year and maybe longer.
Arenas is now a player who will serve a year in the NBA wilderness, an outcast from the game he cherishes.
No comments:
Post a Comment