Earlier today, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and one reporter got into a disagreement about how the team should handle Gilbert Arenas' first public appearance in a while next week at media day. On his blog, Leonsis stressed the need to move forward. As it turns out, maybe this was a directive from above.
According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, NBA commissioner David Stern told Arenas and the team that Arenas should decline comment on all questions relating to his felony charge for bringing guns into the locker room last December. Lee talked to Stern on the phone to confirm the news:
"It's time to move on, rather than obsess about the past," Stern said in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "It's just that it's been discussed, and discussed, and discussed. It's been written about, and written about, and written about on each occasion - his release, his sentencing, my ruling or what have you - and at some point, it's time to move on. I think he's entitled to do that. And I'm supportive of him. We're lucky he's well and we like the way he's worked with various groups over the summer. And we think it's time. Millions and millions of dollars later, and a new season later, I think it's time to move on. And that's what I told him."
Leonsis, for the record, is fine with this.
"It doesn't serve anyone's interest to have Gilbert talking about what happened a year ago when the focus should be on the new season," Leonsis said. "How will Gilbert work with John Wall? I think that's fair game. 'Are you healthy?' 'Are you excited about playing again? How do you think this team has been constructed?' That's all fair game, but to talk about other matters in the past doesn't help the league or the team."
Bullets Forever's initial reaction to the news? "Still trying to decide how I feel about this."
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