Bullets and Zeros

In the winter of 1995 after attending the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin, the former Israeli prime minister and close friend, the late Washington Wizards owner Abe Polin decided to change the nickname of his NBA franchise. Initially known as the Baltimore Bullets of the ABA and more recently the Washington Bullets, this proud franchise named after the famous shot tower of the munitions plant in downtown Baltimore, MD would never again be associated with an instrument (bullet) responsible for so much pain and sorrow. Clearly, Mr. Polin was moved by his personal tragedy, yet perhaps for the first time he was also concerned about the brand image of his organization.Gilbert Arenas is a fine young NBA basketball player. Over the course of eight seasons, he has averaged more than 22 points per game. His fans affectionately refer to him by his nickname "Agent Zero". I always assumed it was based on his jersey #0 or the fact that he practiced his craft in D.C. alongside the thousands of other federal agents. To my surprise however, Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas represented himself during his 2007 contract negotiations with the Wizards. That deal concluded with Arenas inking an extension worth $111 Million over six seasons. Not bad for a player drafted in the second round from the University of Arizona in 2001. This extension was Arenas' third NBA contract which at age 29, and coming off two major knee surgeries could be his last windfall payday.Most sports fans and casual observers of the mainstream news media have no doubt heard of the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident at the Verizon Center - the home arena of the Wizards. You can read stories about the motive and circumstances elsewhere, but for those of you totally unaware of the reports, he transported and stored as many as three handguns in the team locker room. As a result, he has been suspended indefinately by the NBA and the incident is the subject of an onging investigation by both local and federal law enforcement officials.Finally, this brings us back to Abe Polin (R.I.P) and Agent Zero. To understand the bond and professonal relationship the two shared, consider Polin's comments in 2008 during the contract negotiations referenced earlier in this post:
'When I picked you up five years ago, you're my guy and I meant that. You're the face of the Wizards. When you're out of the country walking down the street, I know that I have a fine young man representing me, this organization and the city of Washington to the fullest.'

The indefinate suspension handed down by NBA commissioner David Stern appears to be the least of potential concerns facing Arenas. He had to have anticipated some measure of diciplinary action from league officials. Financially, the fact that every standard NBA contractcontains language and descriptions of prohibited conduct and actions that could concieveably result in general manager Ernie Gurnfield moving to void the remaining years of that lucrative deal signed just two seasons ago. Yet, as we witnessed in the case of Plaxico Burress, his legal exposure is even more concerning in my opinion. The District of Columbia has some of the nation's toughest gun laws. In particular, it is illegal for a person to have a gun in the district if ever convicted of a weapons charge. In 2003 while still a member of the Golden State Warriors, Agent Zero pled no contest to misdemeanor concealed weapons and driving without a license charges. This shines a totally different light on this pending investigation and the future relationship between the two parties. Not know for his passing and assist-making abilities on the court, Gilbert Arenas might have just given the Wizards managment an unintentional "no-look" pass and the legal discourse to rid themselves of a toxic asset.

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Bullets and Zeros

by IQ SPORTS GROUP