Gilbert Arenas’ Gag Order: Did David Stern Order The Code Red???

Sorry, but there’s simply no better parallel for David Stern than Colonel Nathan Jessup for A Few Good Men. Couldn’t you see Stern rebuffing some terrified young reporter like this?

“I run my unit how I run my unit. You want to investigate me, roll the dice and take your chances.”

Indeed, David Stern operates the NBA with the calm reassurance of a man that believes he’s beyond reproach. And he’s probably correct.

Which brings us to Stern’s latest edict from on high—that Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards are not to talk about his gun incident from last season.

The Washington Post quotes Stern on the Arenas situation, a year later:

“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.”

“I said, ‘You know what Gilbert, I just want to tell you, I’m delighted to have you back, you’ve paid a heavy price, but you’re in good standing and, as far as I’m concerned, you should be talking only about the future and not about the past. And if anyone asks you why, you can say the commissioner told you.’”

Again, he’s probably right here. It happened, and it’s best for everyone to put it behind us.

What’s most amusing, though, is that he’d have the audacity to declare one of his superstars can’t talk about the biggest mistake of his entire career. Depending on how you look at this, it’s either agenda-setting at its best, or censorship at its worst. And either way, it’s pure Stern.

The only way it’d be MORE characteristic? If Stern came out and pretended there was nothing to see here, that he’d never personally asked Wizards’ owner Ted Leonsis not to talk about it and that Arenas is free to talk about whatever he wants. As league spokesman Tim Frank clarifies in today’s story on NBA.com:

“The Commisisoner’s message was, we’re supporting you,” Frank said Thursday, “and you shouldn’t feel obligated to talk about the past.” Frank said there was “never any inference of a fine” in Stern’s conversations with Arenas.

With David Stern, though, there’s ALWAYS the inference of a fine. Or some form of retribution. That’s the beauty of being David Stern. So much can go unsaid when everyone fears you, anyway:

“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.

The Wizards clarified Leonsis’ 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.

The idea of a fine was never explicitly discussed, you say? Of course it wasn’t. And Colonel Jessup never officially ordered the Code Red, either, because it didn’t need to be said. And fine or not, there’s not a chance in hell Gilbert will be talking about guns this year.

Because Stern wants us to focus on John Wall. He needs us to focus on John Wall.

And in the end, this story’s not remarkable for its implications with Gilbert Arenas interviews, but for the prevailing lesson that gets re-taught each season: Nobody runs a tigher unit than David Stern.