Gilbert Arenas came back into the center of controversy years after his gun charges cost him a suspension in the NBA during his career. Earlier this week, Arenas was arrested by federal agents on charges of running an illegal gambling business, in connection with a member of an Israeli transnational crime group.
Just a few hours later, Arenas was indicted, and he pleaded ‘not guilty’ and was allowed to submit a bail bond valued at $50,000. Following this, he went on a freedom press tour off-sorts, despite the trial date being set for late September. He called out multiple people, including Kwame Brown, and did not seem to have a care in the world as he openly admitted he would turn on the other defendants linked with him in this case.
This press tour did not sit well with Stephen A. Smith, who has personally known Arenas for multiple years. In the latest episode he recored of his podcast, Smith directly addressed Arenas out of concern.
Stephen A. started by clarifying that none of this is hostile, and he respects Gilbert Arenas and his knowledge of the game at a very high level. But he admitted he was “alarmed” by what Arenas said.
“In light of what he’s being accused of, however, I’m still gonna say to Gil, Bro, I need you not to play around. Because my brother, I don’t want to see you in jail at all.”
“It’s not a good look. It’s nothing to laugh about. It’s nothing to joke around about and think is funny when the feds come raiding your home. I don’t want to see that. I don’t want to hear about anything like that.”
“I can assure you, anybody who wants to do business with you, and I’m one of those people. ESPN, Underdog, a whole bunch of sponsors and advertisers, we don’t want to see that.
“Anybody that knows anything about you and your knowledge of the game and your ability to articulate and deliver your positions, my brother, you are a special talent. We don’t want to see that [going to jail].”
“And the reason why I felt compelled to come on the airwaves and address you directly is because I want to remind you of what really got you in trouble in the NBA to begin with. Remember that years ago…Remember all of that with the guns in the locker room? Remember all of that? Remember all of that that happened?
“And you remember what really got you in trouble thereafter? Because, as bad of a look as that was, and as much as former Commissioner David Stern and others were ready to bring the heavy hand down upon you, what really exacerbated the situation is that you had a game a night or two later against the Philadelphia 76ers… You were joking around, feigning as if you were shooting guns.”
“And David Stern went ballistic. It was like somebody like you had no place in this league. Because it’s not a joking matter to other people. And the reality is, is that my brother, it shouldn’t be a joking matter to you.”
As a result of the gun charges in 2009, Arenas was suspended for 50 games as his behavior seemed to enrage David Stern, per Smith. Similarly, Smith believes that to a court of law, such behaviour after his arrest may not be seen as positively as Arenas hopes for it to be. The trial is set to begin on September 23, as Gilbert Arenas could be looking at 15 years in prison (three counts, five years maximum sentence for each).
