Former Washington Wizards gunner (pun intended) Gilbert Arenas was involved in one of the most infamous scandals in the history of the NBA. He and Javaris Crittenton were involved in a dispute with firearms after a card game went wrong. The details of the incident were always murky, but over the years, more and more is coming out.
Arenas spoke with Jon Gold of The Action Network about just how important the card game “Booray” is in NBA circles. Arenas discussed the importance of winning and it transcends the dollars and cents involved in each pot.
“The game is the basketball court. It’s the practice gym. I’ve heard that those Celtics teams, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, those guys were betting Rolls-Royces on a plane. There’s nothing fun about that. Those guys are trying to ruin you. It’s like putting Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Floyd Mayweather on a gambling table. That’s not about money. They have money. They’re trying to fuck you up. They’re trying to make you hurt.”
This gives some explanation as to why Arenas and Crittenton's argument rose to the level of bringing guns into the locker room. To some degree, it wasn't about the money. It was about getting the better of your opponent. It was about refusing to lose. Pride can drive people to do a lot of things.
One line from Arenas sticks out in particular.
“For that moment, they’re taking your soul.”
Their competitive drive is a big reason why these guys are the best players in the world, but it's clearly something that has a dark side.
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