NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Gilbert Arenas and Washington Wizards team mate Javaris Crittenton have been suspended for the rest of the NBA season after a league investigation into them bringing guns into the team locker room.
The pair brought the weapons with them following a dispute on a flight home from a game and NBA commissioner David Stern said they had clearly breached league rules.
Arenas had already been suspended indefinitely by the league pending an investigation.
“The issue here is not about the legal ownership and possession of guns, either in one’s home or elsewhere. It is about possession of guns in the NBA workplace, which will not be tolerated,” Stern said in a statement.
“I have met separately with Mr. Arenas and with Mr. Crittenton. Both have expressed remorse for their actions and an understanding of the seriousness of their transgressions. Both have volunteered to engage in community service in order to turn the lessons they have learned into an educational message for others. I accept fully the sincerity of their expressions of regret and intent to create something positive from this incident. Nevertheless, there is no justification for their conduct. Accordingly, I am today converting Mr. Arenas’ indefinite suspension without pay to a suspension without pay for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, and am also suspending Mr. Crittenton without pay, effective immediately, for the remainder of the 2009-10 season,” he said.