Gilbert Arenas admits to faking injury
The official story is that Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards sat out last night’s pre-season game against the Atlanta Hawks because of a knee injury. But the 28-year-old, known
for his pranks, admitted after the game that his knee was feeling just fine. He just wanted to create some playing time for shooting guard Nick Young.
"I told [Young] I'd sacrifice playing tonight so he can get some time in because I know he's kind of frustrated he's not getting a chance to crack the [small forward] position, especially
since we're going three guards," Arenas said with a smile after the game. "So I told him I'll go and fake an injury or say something's wrong with me so you can start."
Before the game, Wizards coach Flip Saunders said Arenas’ knee was bothering him.
"His knee is acting up and is a little sore, and it looks like he's going to sit this one out," he said.
Arenas’ plan proved fruitful when third-year player Young led the Wizards to a 107-92 win over the Hawks, scoring a team-high 24 points. The game was the pre-season opener at home for
the Wizards and would have been the first time Arenas has played in front of his home crowd since his 50-game suspension last season for bringing guns to the locker room.
John Wall, the number-one pick in last summer’s NBA Draft, posted 19 points and seven assists in his home debut for the Wizards. After their pre-season opener on Tuesday 5 October, the
unpredictable Arenas essentially handed the team over to Wall.
“Right now the city is John’s. I’m not here to fight anybody. I’m here to just play alongside him. He’s Batman and I’m Robin,” said Arenas after Wall notched 21 points and nine assists
to lead the Wizards past the Mavericks.
The antics of Arenas have been well-documented. From his popular blog on NBA.com to his playing online poker at half-time to apparently showering in his uniform, Arenas’ odd humour has
endeared him to fans. But his harmless shenanigans took on a serious note last season when he and fellow team-mate Javaris Crittenton allegedly pulled guns on each other in the Wizards’ locker room, leading to lengthy suspensions for both players. After being
warned by NBA commissioner David Stern to tone down his antics, it appears Arenas is back at it again.
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