Gilbert Arenas was infamously suspended and charged with a felony after he was discovered to have a gun in the Washington Wizards’ locker room more than a decade ago, but that did not cost him an opportunity to play for one of the most storied franchises in sports. The problem, according to Arenas, is that he simply didn’t want to.
During an appearance on Dan Le Batard’s “South Beach Sessions” podcast this week, Arenas opened up about the time the Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in signing him back in 2012. Arenas said Kobe Bryant wanted to be teammates with him after Arenas was amnestied by the Orlando Magic, and Gilbert performed “very well” in his workout with the Lakers. But when he sat down for an interview, he basically told the team they’d be making a mistake if they signed him.
“I botched the meeting. I sabotaged it,” Arenas said, as transcribed by Jesse Pantuosco of Audacy Sports. “They’re asking me, ‘When can you be ready to come?’ Maybe a month? It’s March. To be honest you don’t really need a player like me. You just need to tweak the second unit, make them a little faster and you guys are perfect.”
Arenas said he wasn’t the same player after the gun incident, and he didn’t feel he could live up to expectations with the Lakers. He also did not think it would be wise to return home to L.A., where he is from.
“And that was my answer. Like you didn’t really need me. Thirty days (left in the regular season), so I can go back home. I’m not coming to L.A,” Arenas said. “You guys are going to crucify me. “That’s when Kobe came out and said, ‘I want Agent Zero.’ And I’m like, with all due respect, Kobe wants a player that no longer exists mentally.”
Arenas says the gun incident was misconstrued and that the Wizards took advantage of an opportunity to get out of his contract. He claimed he never touched a gun during the dispute with Javaris Crittenton, which began over a gambling debt. Media reports at the time said Arenas pulled the gun on Crittenton, though it was not loaded. You can read more about the incident here.
Though he says the details were misrepresented, Arenas admits his “own stupidity” led to the fallout. Heck, the incident even became a clue on “Jeopardy!” years later, so he never really lived it down.
It’s surprising to hear that Arenas turned down an opportunity to play for the Lakers, but it sounds like it was the right choice given his mindset at the time.
