WASHINGTON — Interested in hearing Gilbert Arenas describe the lessons he learned from serving time in a halfway house? Don't hold your breath.
NBA commissioner David Stern has advised Arenas and the Washington Wizards not to talk about the former All-Star's felony gun conviction, and the Wizards say that's fine with them.
"The commissioner spoke to Gilbert," NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Thursday. "His message was: 'You've paid your price, you're back in good standing, and don't feel obligated to talk about the past.'"
Arenas has not spoken publicly since he was sentenced in March to one month in a halfway house and two years of probation after pleading guilty to felony gun possession. Arenas brought four guns to the Wizards locker room in December after getting into an argument with a teammate over a card game.
Arenas was also suspended by Stern for the final 50 games of last season.
New Wizards owner Ted Leonsis has talked about the need for Arenas to reintroduce himself to the community so that fans can embrace him again, but that will apparently not include any reflection or explanation about the series of events that transformed him from marketable hero to franchise embarrassment in a matter of weeks.
Arenas is expected to meet with reporters on Monday as part of the team's media day on the eve of training camp.
"The commissioner advised and suggested that Gilbert, the Wizards and Ted look forward and not look back, and Ted agreed with that advice and suggestion," Wizards spokesman Kurt Kehl said.
Leonsis told The Washington Post that he would comply with Stern in part because he didn't want to be fined, but the Wizards clarified those comments, saying the commissioner did not order Leonsis to keep quiet about the matter under threat of penalty.
"The idea of being fined was never intimated to him at all," Kehl said.
Frank reiterated that Stern's suggestion was not a gag order, but rather a gesture to let Arenas know he had the support of the commissioner if he didn't want to talk about his conviction.
"Gilbert's paid a huge price here," Frank said. "The commissioner wanted him to know that we're going to support him."