Gilbert Arenas

Bang. You’re dead. Pointing at his teammates with his hand in the shape of a gun, Washington Wizards’ guard Gilbert Arenas smiled and laughed as cameras flashed before putting up 19 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. With potential gun charges looming against Arenas, though, NBA Commissioner David Stern is not in a joking mood.

ESPN is reporting that the NBA has indefinitely suspended Arenas, who has been embroiled in allegations that he brandished a gun at a teammate in the locker room over a gambling debt dispute. D.C. law enforcement officials are also investigating the incident, which Arenas claims was just a joke on a teammate gone wrong.

In fact, Arenas seems to view the entire situation as a joke.

“If I really did something wrong, I would feel remorse for what I did,” Arenas told the New York Daily News after Tuesday’s game. “I didn’t do anything.”

Arenas has continued to comment on the situation via his Twitter account and by speaking to the media. The guy has come off as a complete idiot, oblivious to the serious nature of this offense. Sure, he made a big mistake, but the man is making it worse by continuing to run his mouth. At stake: a potential felony conviction and the voiding of the remaining four years and $96 million of his NBA contract. The man deserves the latter just for his conduct in response to these allegations. How clueless can you be?

I’m a huge fan of the NBA. I love the game. It features the best athletes in the world playing the game at the highest level. However, in recent years we’ve seen the emergence of many coddled wanna-be-thug millionaires drawing headlines for illegal behavior off the court. Most NBA players are excellent stewards of the game; true professionals like Ray Allen, Dikembe Mutombo, Derek Fisher, Yao Ming, and Shane Battier. Yet all the headlines go to people like Ron Artest, Jamaal Tinsley, and now Arenas.

“(Arenas’) ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” Stern said.

I could not agree more. After his recent conduct, getting paid millions of dollars playing in the NBA is a privilege Arenas no longer deserves.