Gilbert Arenas made it sound like he was planning his exit from the Washington Wizards after last night's preseason game. However, when asked about his comments today, Arenas clarified to say he only meant after his contract was up.
Via Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
To some, Arenas's comments appeared to be a message that he was looking to be moved before his contract expires after the 2013-14 season. Arenas said he isn't looking to go anywhere, or seeking a trade; he is content serving as a mentor to Wall and the other young Wizards as one of the few veterans on the roster. He said he simply meant that he would move on when his deal ends, not before it.
"I've got four years left," Arenas said, "and that's it. That's all I was saying."
Arenas added that he felt he was simply stating the obvious: that this is John Wall's team. He added that he enjoys being around the young guys, and blamed the outrage in part on the 24-hour news cycle.
He added that he wishes that more people focused more on how he and Wall will work, rather than the other way around. He blamed the overall negative tone of the new, 24-hour "social media" for contributing to people expecting situations to fail. He used the overwhelmingly negative perceptions surrounding the newly-formed all-star trio in Miami with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Arenas said he hopes that kind of talk will stop in Washington.
"We need people to root for us," Arenas said. "Don't go against us. Root for us!"
For more, visit Bullets Forever, which has been all over this story.