Gilbert Arenas Triggering ‘Cojones’ Question Led to Guns and Suspensions in NBA

Gilbert Arenas and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton's gun incident changed their basketball lives forever.

Gilbert Arenas Triggering ‘Cojones’ Question Led to Guns and Suspensions in NBA

Gilbert Arenas details how he taunted Javaris Crittenton into the gun standoff (Image via Firstsportz)

Gilbert Arenas is now known for his successful podcast, Gil’s Arena. But the former All-Star was known for his exploits on the court, especially with the Golden State Warriors and the Washington Wizards. His time with the latter would go on to make him a household name.

He ended up becoming a superstar in Washington, earning the nickname ‘Agent Zero’ as he went on to notch three All-Star selections. Arenas still shares the highest individual single-game scoring record at 60 points, along with Bradley Beal.

All of that justified owner Abe Pollin‘s investment in the 2nd round pick, who wanted Arenas to erase Michael Jordan‘s time with the team. The guard did exactly that, until his knees started buckling. Those injuries sidelined him for much of the 2007 and 08 seasons.

To offset that, the Wizards traded a first-round pick to land guard Javaris Crittenton. His arrival seemed to have sparked a war with Arenas, as the veteran did not leave any stone unturned to taunt his younger teammate. While on Netflix’s Untold episode titled ‘Shooting Guards’, Arenas explained how he tried to rage bait Crittenton in December 2009.

We’re in front of the team. ‘Yo, when you drive into the arena, I’ll throw gas on your car, burn it while you’re in it.’ That was my threat to him. What I was doing was purposely to irritate Javaris. So you can see him just fuming.

Gilbert Arenas taunted Javaris Crittenton

Javaris Crittenton also spoke to Untold, and he initially wanted to keep the respect between the two. He suggested that there was no reason for Arenas to burn his car. But that was just the start of Gilbert Arenas’ attacks.

Gilbert Arenas ups the ante on Javaris Crittenton

Even though Javaris Crittenton tried to talk respectfully, Gilbert Arenas‘ words did get to him. He responded that if the veteran were to burn his car, he would shoot Arenas’ knees.

It’s already bad. What do I give a s**t for? (Crittenton replied), ‘Well, I’m going to shoot you in your good knee. ‘ My good knee? You done took it too far.

Gilbert Arenas said

Hearing this, Crittenton replied that if his teammate was going to talk about fighting, he should know that he plays with guns. Arenas’ comeback to this was:

I want to see you do it. I’ll bring you the guns. Are you man enough? Do you have two of these (cojones) to shoot me? You ain’t got the cojones to do nothing like that. You ain’t even built to do nothing like that.

Gilbert Arenas said

At the team practice on Dec 21st, 2009, Arenas brought unloaded guns into the locker room to call Crittenton’s bluff. However, the latter came in with a loaded gun and pointed it at his teammate. This caused their teammates to run out of the locker room.

Both the guards apologized for their behavior, but then Commissioner David Stern was not convinced and suspended them for the season. But their problems would not end there, as the D.C Superior Court sentenced them to probation. Arenas also had to spend 30 days at a halfway house. Soon, their careers changed.

Aftermath of that incident

After this incident, the Washington Wizards waived Javaris Crittenton. He would not find a steady job in the NBA and went on to play in China and then in the D-League. Invariably, that D-League stint was the last time he played basketball, as he was arrested in 2011 for manslaughter charges.

Gilbert Arenas served the role of a mentor in his final few years in the NBA
Gilbert Arenas served the role of a mentor in his final few years in the NBA (Image via Open Source/X)

The Atlanta native shot and killed a woman in his hometown. But it turned out that the victim was not the intended target. As part of the Crips, he was trying to kill a member of the rival Bloods. That stunt saw him land a 23-year prison sentence. That sentence was reduced to ten years, and he was out in 2023.

Gilbert Arenas, on the other hand, returned to the Wizards. However, he was a shell of his former self, even though he could continue to score at nearly 17 points per game. At the same time, the franchise had drafted John Wall with the first overall pick that season.

Arenas spent half a season mentoring Wall while playing alongside him. Then, in December 2010, the Wizards traded him to the Orlando Magic, where he again found himself as a mentor to Jameer Nelson. One more season as a mentor with the Memphis Grizzlies, and Arenas left the NBA at just 30 years old.

Also Read: