NBA Suspends Arenas and Crittenton for Season. Sports book had the Washington Wizards losing two of their players for the rest of the season as NBA commissioner David Stern suspended guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton. Sports book indicated that the two players were in serious trouble for a gun incident and both have since pleaded guilty. The Wizards have had a rough season against the sportsbook odds but now they may start to improve once this is all behind them.
Sports book had both players saying very little other than agreeing with their suspensions. Stern released a statement on the matter. “The NBA has conducted a thorough investigation of events relating to this matter,” Stern said. “It is not disputed that, following an argument on the team’s flight home from a game in Phoenix, both Mr. Arenas and Mr. Crittenton brought guns to the Verizon Center locker room and, with other players and team personnel present or nearby, displayed them to one another in a continuation of their dispute.
The players engaged in this conduct despite a specific rule set forth in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the Players Association prohibiting players from possessing a weapon at an NBA facility, and reminders of this prohibition given annually by the NBA to players both in writing and in person.” Sports book had Stern going on to say that he has met with both players and both of them expressed remorse. “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.”
Sports book already showed that Arenas had already pleaded guilty to a felony weapons possession charge and he will be sentenced on March 26th. Crittenton pleaded guilty to a lesser charge as sportsbook info showed and received probation. The loss of Crittenton doesn’t hurt Washington in terms of sports book results since he hasn’t played at all this sportsbook season. The loss of Arenas does hurt the Wizards though in sports book odds since he was their leading scorer before getting suspended. It has been a rough season all around for the Wizards and their results at the sports book have suffered. Washington is 14-30 straight up this season and 16-26-2 against the odds at the sportsbook.