Inside The Wizards

New Netflix Series Revisits Infamous Wizards Gun Incident

Former Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are featured as prime subjects in a new Netflix project, "Untold: Shooting Guards."
Apr 4, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Gilbert Arenas (10) tries to block a shot by Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) during the third quarter at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies 95-85. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Gilbert Arenas (10) tries to block a shot by Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) during the third quarter at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies 95-85. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In this story:


The Washington Wizards are back in the news, although it isn't for the kind of reasons that anyone's particularly proud of.

15 years ago, Gilbert Arenas, Washington's All-Star point guard, brought guns into the Wizards locker room in the midst of a gambling dispute with teammate Javaris Crittenton. The two were suspended for the remainder of the 2009-10 season, Arenas was hit with legal troubles, and the franchise elected to move in a different direction by quickly trading away several key players.

Netflix is looking to revisit this story, as well as how the tumultuous lives of the two central subjects led them to this moment in "Untold: Shooting Guards," the newest strand of the long-running "Untold" documentary series.

Neither of the two players ever recovered from the commotion this caused, whether it was the relatively unaccomplished Crittenton who only fell in deeper with the law in the following years, or the jumpy Arenas, who'd already played his best basketball by the time the Wizards sent him into journeyman status.

The Wizards franchise, too, needed some time and space to move on, hitting a reset that was only accelerated by their winning the 2010 draft lottery. They ushered in John Wall as their new potential franchise player, who only shared a locker room with Arenas for 21 games before he was shipped to Orlando.

Crittenton, having just recently been released from his decade-long prison stint, plays a significant role in the new documentary, as does Arenas, who's sustained as a regularly-present voice in NBA media, and the Wizards as a whole for having set the stage for the legendary confrontation.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


Published
Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

Share on XFollow henryjbr_sports