Amid controversy surrounding what happened during a locker room altercation between Wizards teammates, the NBA has suspended superstar Gilbert Arenas indefinitely.

NBA Commissioner David Stern:

“The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action.

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

There’s really not much else that you can say about that.  If you aren’t in the military, you probably shouldn’t be playing with guns at work. 

But yesterday, there was some discussion regarding the status of his contract.  NBA analyst J.A. Adande intimated that a felony charge would be ground for the termination of a contract.  Yes, that would be the ridiculous 6-year, $111 million deal that the Wizards gave him in the summer of 2008. 

Clause 16 of the Uniform Player Contract states:

The Team may terminate this Contract upon written notice to the Player if the Player shall:

(i) at any time, fail, refuse, or neglect to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship, to keep himself in first class physical condition, or to obey the Team‘s training rules;

Will it actually happen?  Probably not…the Players Association would back Arenas throughout such a process to ensure that it does not become the status quo.  If it did, you would see the beginning of athletes truly being held accountable for their actions – and folks, that would get real ugly. 

But you can never count out Stern for being the one to set precedents.  And anything to “further damage the image” of the NBA puts fire in his eyes.  Prior to this incident, the NBA has been relatively quiet and drama-free for quite some time – so Stern’s wrath may be felt on this one.

Gilbert Arenas acted like he was shooting his teammates prior to Tuesday's game against Philadelphia.

But after Arenas seemingly made light of the ongoing investigation during his last game (by putting his fingers up in the air to resemble guns), there’s an air of disrespect that has been perceived by the league.  While that sort of thing is typical Arenas behavior (going against the grain), it certainly won’t sit well with those who are determining his punishment.

The guard, who is well-known by his Agent Zero moniker, became extremely popular through his blogging.  The former Golden State Warrior included all of his fans on a ride which highlighted his unique sense of humor.  His blog started an avalanche of other athletes who attempted to replicate the connection that he had with his fan base.   

Here’s what Arenas said about the matter:

On Monday, December 21st, I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate. Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone.

Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there’s no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns even if unloaded.

I am very sorry for the effect that my serious lapse in judgment has had on my team, my teammates, the National Basketball Association and its fans. I want to apologize to everybody for letting them down with my conduct, and I promise to do better in the future.

Arenas will play basketball again.  Lapses in judgement are what has made him special throughout his career.  Coming out of college early and being a second-round draft pick.  Not listening to basketball analysts who thought he didn’t have a true position.  Taking “ill-advised” shots that won ball games.  Being a “point guard” who’s a better scorer than passer.

But this time was different.  His statement leads us to believe that he knows he went far this time.  Hopefully, he’s not trying to pull a joke on us.

If so, David Stern will be the one to get the last laugh.

T Lamont is the owner, administrator and author of all content for Ball or Nuthin\'. Feel free to contact T Lamont with a question or comment at ballornuthin@gmail.com.  All created Ball or Nuthin' content is the sole property of T Lamont. Read more from this author