Gilbert Arenas has had plenty of time at home to do some serious soul searching as he awaits his sentencing next week.The suspended Washington Wizards player tells Esquire Magazine that he wasn’t using “longevity thinking” when he took out four guns in what he says was an attempt to play a prank on teammate Javaris Crittenton in December.
Suspended by the NBA until the end of the season, Arenas has kept a low profile since pleading guilty to a felony gun charge in January, which stems from a spat he and Crittenton had over a card game on the team plane. The point guard insists they are on good terms and spoke immediately after their confrontation. Crittenton was sentenced to unsupervised probation for a misdemeanor gun charge.
In the interview, the basketball star says he “messed up” the legacy of Wizards owner Abe Pollin, who died in November.
“I have a painting of him in my garage. I just walk by it with my head down,” Arenas said. “I called Mrs. Pollin and said, ‘If Abe was still with us, I would’ve had to talk to him, so I’m gonna give you the same respect. I want to say sorry to you. I deserve to be punished. I’ll do everything it takes to get back your husband’s respect.’”
Appearing to have a fascination with firearms, Arenas told Esquire that he used to have as many as 500 in his home, of which he bought many of them from an elderly man’s World War I collection. Taking safety precautions into consideration, when he started having children, he says he put all but four of them in storage.
Hoping to return to the NBA and continue playing for the Wizards, “Agent 0” submitted paperwork last week to change his jersey from No. 0 to No. 6 next season, reports The Associated Press.
