I have a new SI.com column that looks at the potential punishments Gilbert Arena could face at the hands of the legal system, the NBA, and the Washington Wizards. The piece also discusses implications for NBA players who carry guns. Here's an excerpt:
Hope you get to read the rest of the column.* * *The Wizards could also attempt to sanction Arenas. The franchise could do so through a suspension or, more controversially, through a termination of Arenas' lucrative contract.
Although I have not reviewed Arenas' contract, Clause 16 of the NBA's Uniform Player Contract cannot be modified for individual player contracts and describes the circumstances in which a team can terminate a deal. One such circumstance occurs if a player "at any time, fails, refuses, or neglects to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship ..."
To be sure, the players' association would vehemently object to the Wizards' using Clause 16 to escape financial obligations, with the union seeking to protect Arenas and other controversial players who could be subject to contractual termination by their teams. Indeed, the very concept of guaranteed NBA contracts could be jeopardized by the termination of Arenas' deal.
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