2 NBA Players Suspended From The Rest Of The Season

[Tony Trader]

With lengthy suspensions for Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, commissioner David Stern showed how serious he is about keeping guns off NBA property.

And just in case players need more convincing, Stern said he and players’ association director Billy Hunter will discuss ways to make his message even clearer.

“This is about the health and safety of our players and all players,” Stern said, “as well as our overall image of our players, and we’re going to make, I would guess, an even stronger statement on this subject than is being made by this penalty being announced today.”
 
Stressing that firearms in the workplace “will not be tolerated,” Stern suspended the Washington Wizards guards for the remainder of the season without pay Wednesday, shortly after meeting with Arenas. He met with Crittenton the day before.

“We have preached to (players) in writing and actually in person on this very subject and nevertheless they brandished firearms and that just can’t be tolerated,” Stern said on a conference call. “And if there’s any doubt to any of our players about it in the future, we will be dealing with this in an even more severe way.”

Both players admitted bringing a gun or guns into the Wizards’ locker room— violating a provision added to the collective bargaining agreement in 2005— after a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight. Stern said the players expressed remorse, but added, “nevertheless, there is no justification for their conduct.”

Asked what message the penalties sent, Stern said: “We mean what we say when we say that guns are prohibited from being in our buildings and on team business.

“And if you violate that prohibition, which is an agreement between the players’ association and the NBA, you will be dealt with harshly because it’s very potentially dangerous to our players, to the other players and to anyone else who might be involved.”

Arenas, who is forfeiting about $147,200 per game, had already been suspended indefinitely earlier this month. Crittenton will lose about $13,435 per game, or $510,530, from his $1.48 million salary.

Source: Yahoo Sports