Crittenton Cocked And Loaded? Arenas Taking The Fall?

When Gilbert got suspended indefinitely with no word on any punishment for Javaris Crittenton, it raised a ton of questions. Now comes word that this "practical joke" might have been scarier than reported; and Arenas might be covering Crittenton's ass.

What we know (or think we know): there was a dispute over money owed from an airplane game of Boo-Ray. Crittenton owed $1,100 to JaVale McGee though he disputed the rules, and Arenas proceeded to tease him. This led to words, then threats. Two days later, Arenas brought four handguns to the locker room and laid them in front of Crittenton's locker with a note that said "pick one." Arenas said as recently as this weekend it was just a "playful gesture." His teammate apparently didn't think so.

Asking Arenas what he was doing, Arenas replied, "If you want to shoot me, I'd just thought I'd make it easy for you." As other teammates laughed, Crittenton crumpled up the paper, tossed one of Arenas's guns across the room, where it bounced in front of a team trainer, and said he didn't need any of Arenas's firearms because he had his own, according to the witness accounts.

Crittenton then drew his weapon, loaded it and chambered a round, the witnesses said.

Neither witness said the gun was ever pointed at Arenas, but both said Crittenton began singing as he held the gun.

Holy shit. Singing while loading a gun? That's a little too Falling Down. But there's more:

Two of the five people in the room that morning, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Arenas had originally not disclosed Crittenton's action to protect the little-used guard from prosecution and had told Crittenton he would assume full responsibility for the actions of both players that day.

Arenas is cooperating with federal prosecutors, and reportedly told them about Crittenton's role in a meeting on Monday. But Crittenton's gun hasn't been found, and a former U.S. attorney says it would be difficult to bring a case without a gun. Which isn't to say the Hand of Stern isn't going to come down just as hard — if not harder — on Crittenton.

Wizards' Arenas suspended indefinitely as new details emerge in gun incident [WaPo]