Chapter 161: Guns??
In the Christmas game between the Knicks and the Heat, Lian Dao delivered an impressive performance, achieving a triple-double with 38 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. However, his remarkable feat failed to capture the attention of the media. During the post-game press conference, only local reporters from New York posed questions, while the other media representatives remained notably silent.
"Can't a triple-double attract any interest now?" Lian Dao pondered. "Are the standards so high? Or is the media just lying flat, no longer needing to chase stories?"
As Lian Dao later reviewed the media coverage, he quickly realized the reason behind their lack of focus: a significant incident had occurred in Washington.
The following day, he learned about a gun incident involving Gilbert Arenas that had overshadowed his accomplishments. Initially, Lian Dao had hoped his new perspective could influence events and alter outcomes, but he underestimated history's relentless grip. Unless he intervened directly, many events would unfold just as they had before.
In fact, the incident in Washington was unfolding almost identically to the original timeline.
On December 25, in the locker room of the Washington Wizards' home arena, the Verizon Center, Arenas had arrived early for practice, bringing with him four unloaded guns which he displayed conspicuously in his personal locker. After his training session, Arenas provocatively challenged teammate Crittenton, saying, "Hey, I brought the gun you wanted. Want to pick one?"
Crittenton turned away from Arenas, dismissing him with, "Spare your stuff." But then he pivoted and, mimicking a gunman in a Western, pointed a loaded pistol directly at Arenas.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment as their teammates realized what was happening, prompting them to flee the locker room in panic. Fortunately, security intervened swiftly, ensuring that no one was harmed.
In the wake of the incident, the Wizards scrambled to manage the public relations fallout, instructing all staff and players to keep details about the gun confrontation confidential. Yet, it was impossible to keep such news under wraps in the close confines of a locker room. Within six hours, media outlets had caught wind of the incident, and the coverage exploded.
What better way to grab headlines than a "Christmas gunfight"? Christmas games might be a yearly tradition, but gun confrontations were a rarity. The media flocked to the story, eager for the sensational details.
In the evening, David Stern was reviewing the ratings from the Christmas game, which his assistant had just compiled. He was pleased to see that the ratings for the Knicks vs. Heat matchup were comparable to those of the Lakers and Knicks.
Just as he was privately congratulating himself for recognizing Lian Dao's potential, his assistant called into the president's office with a report.
After reading the report, Stern's satisfaction quickly turned to rage as he hurled his beloved ashtray across the room. The report detailed the gun confrontation that had occurred in the Wizards' locker room, shattering his good mood.
He had worked tirelessly to keep the NBA free from violence, only to have this reckless behavior by the Wizards undermine all his efforts.
Stern felt that the situation warranted an immediate season suspension for those involved, but the Wizards' owner intervened, arguing that suspending Arenas would cripple the team's season and make it difficult to sell tickets. The entire franchise was dependent on Arenas.
Recognizing this predicament, Stern also acknowledged that no videos or photos of the incident had surfaced, which provided a glimmer of hope for damage control. Following emergency consultations, the league conducted a symbolic investigation and ultimately issued only a verbal warning to the players involved.
Thus, a significant issue was resolved with minimal consequences.
Why did such a gun incident occur? Despite the Wizards' strict instructions not to disclose details, many media outlets speculated that personal conflicts between Arenas and Crittenton had triggered the confrontation.
However, Lian Dao, upon seeing the news, could only shake his head and smile.
There was another player involved in this incident: JaVale McGee.
Shortly before the confrontation, while on a flight transfer, Crittenton and McGee had been playing poker. Crittenton was having a terrible time and lost a significant amount of money, leaving him in a foul mood. When the game ended, McGee had won $1,100, but Boykins, another teammate, approached him for the $200 he had lent him.
Crittenton, being close friends with Boykins, confronted McGee, accusing him of being unwilling to repay the debt despite his winnings. At that moment, Arenas intervened, suggesting that teammates should resolve their issues without escalating tensions.
Frustrated, Crittenton turned on Arenas, retorting, "You're the highest-paid player on the team, so of course you don't care about a couple hundred bucks!"
The argument escalated into a heated exchange of trash talk, with Arenas joking, "You little rookie, believe it or not, I could put you in a car, set it on fire, and rescue you afterward."
To which Crittenton snapped back, "If you're that powerful, I can just shoot you." Arenas replied, "Sure, can I bring a gun for you to shoot me?"
At the time, the other players thought it was all in good fun, but they never anticipated that their banter would turn into reality in the locker room two days later.
Surprisingly, McGee managed to distance himself from the fallout. Years later, in an interview, he would reveal the full story of what had transpired during that incident.
McGee later gained notoriety, particularly due to his involvement in the humorous "Shaqtin' a Fool" segments, where his on-court blunders provided endless material for laughs. Often referred to as an "all-star below the head" by fans, he was actually quite intelligent, holding a double degree. However, he struggled with a condition known as ADD, which affected his attention and memory, leading to lapses like forgetting he had been teammates with Livingston during their time with the Wizards.
Despite his challenges, McGee possessed exceptional talent. Standing at 2.13 meters with a wingspan of 2.30 meters, he was an impressive physical specimen at the center position. His vertical leap of 83 centimeters and top-tier agility made him a force on the court.
When he entered the league, Hakeem Olajuwon praised him, stating that McGee could dominate the league, calling him one of the most talented players he had ever seen. Indeed, when focused, McGee showcased extraordinary skills, easily elevating for dunks and blocks.
Lian Dao understood that while the league may have suppressed the incident, it wouldn't truly fade away, and the ramifications would profoundly affect Arenas' career.
"What are you looking at?" Millsap asked Lian Dao during a training break, noticing him engrossed in a newspaper.
Lian Dao held up the paper, prompting Millsap to nod in understanding.
"Do you think they actually had a Golden Desert Eagle, as the media reported?" Wilson Chandler chimed in.
Both Lian Dao and Millsap exchanged puzzled looks at Wilson's comment.
"It's the Golden Desert Eagle, a limited edition," Wilson explained, seeing the confusion on their faces.
Lian Dao and Millsap could only shake their heads, bemused by Wilson's quirky logic.
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