04/16/24
August 29, 2011
Homicide charge is latest trouble for former Wizard: Javaris Crittenton never had a chance to establish a reputation in the NBA before he became notorious. He was the other, seemingly insignificant half in one of the most embarassing incidents the Wizards franchise has had to face.
posted by BornIcon to basketball at 08:52 AM - 12 comments
It's unfortunate that teams don't assign personal assistants to young players they are paying millions of dollars to. Sounds like Crittenton at one time had all the tools to be successful but lacked the maturity to deal with wealth and fame.
posted by cixelsyd at 01:17 PM on August 29, 2011
"It's unfortunate that teams don't assign personal assistants to young players they are paying millions of dollars to. Sounds like Crittenton at one time had all the tools to be successful but lacked the maturity to deal with wealth and fame."
I think it is unfortunate that in some way this statement insinuates that the league in some way has failed this A-hole. There is only one responsible party here and that is Crittenton. He is a criminal with little regard for others and in some ways I see him as worse than those who do this kind of stuff who have not had an opportunity for a better life. What is this guys excuse?
posted by Atheist at 02:24 PM on August 29, 2011
I don't think that insinuates anything, it just suggests teams/ agents might consider spending a bit of money on their multi-million dollar investments to make sure they pay off.
posted by yerfatma at 04:10 PM on August 29, 2011
suggests teams/ agents might consider spending a bit of money on their multi-million dollar investments to make sure they pay off
That was the point I was attempting to make.
insinuates that the league in some way has failed this A-hole
I'm not a lawyer and thus would never attempt to make Crittenton out to be a victim, just saying that it would be better for all parties if leagues worked on ensuring the A-holes they dump money on have some form of support/mentoring to assist in their daily lives.
posted by cixelsyd at 04:24 PM on August 29, 2011
I think it is hard to have it both ways. Either you treat players like adults and allow them to manage their own lives like responsible adults, or you trat them like spoiled children and manage their lives for them. I believe most professional athletes want to be treated like adults and are legally adults, which means being responsible for their own actions, and facing the consequences of their own actions.
It was mentioned that this guy did not have the maturity to deal with the money and success, and maybe something the league could have or should have done could have saved him this trouble, but he shot a gun and killed someone. That has nothing to do with anything other than he is a thug and a criminal. Well if money and success is the downfall of young players maybe someone could suggest that they can only receive an allowance against their salary until they prove they are mature and responsible enough to handle it. I'm sure that will go over big with the players union. Or maybe the NBA and other professional leagues could just adopt a no tolerance policy for illegal behavior and refuse to hire these guys no matter how good they play a game.
This guy waived a gun around in the locker room once. He was obviously a problem and has lived up to his potential. The only unfortunate thing here is an innocent person is dead at the hand of a spoiled, selfish idiot.
A personal assistant would have hardly been the difference in a case like this.
posted by Atheist at 05:56 PM on August 29, 2011
I don't see how you can be so certain about any of that. Especially in today's modern "print first, investigate later" news cycle.
I too assume he's guilty, given that he seems to have fled, but your comments make it seem like you decided about the thugs and criminals in professional leagues long ago. Instead of the benefit of the doubt, you've given the exact opposite.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:02 PM on August 29, 2011
Weedy - you are right. I was assuming he is guilty based on the article and his previous behavior with guns. But it really isn't the point of my response, innocent or guilty, his situation is of his own making and I don't feel the league could have or necessarily should have done something to keep him behaving like a law abiding citizen. It simply isn't their responsibility nor do I believe the players would welcome more intrusion into their lives by the league.
Also yes I have decided a long time ago that the professional sports leagues in this country, while including morality clauses in their contracts, have tolerated way too much in the way of thug like and criminal behavior, rather than making a stand with a no tolerance policy toward athletes. I find it highly hypocritical to make conduct clauses and then look the other way when talented athletes behave outrageously. Most employers will not hire someone who gets convicted of a crime or brings bad press to the company.
If I made the rules (which of course I don't), in my league if you go went the stands and assaulted a fan (even if he is an ass) for any reason, or you pulled a gun on someone in the locker room (even in jest), or you were accused for the third time of a sexual assault, you would be banned for life even if you are the biggest star on your team.
posted by Atheist at 06:30 PM on August 29, 2011
There is only one responsible party here and that is Crittenton.
Nobody's saying that it's not his fault he shot a gun. Treating crime as a nuanced thing rather than it just being about who's a "thug and criminal" is not playing blame, it's about figuring out what's best for the next ones.
What I, at least, am saying, is the kid was a great student, future leader type of kid who was drafted after assuming a leadership position on his team as a freshman, and a couple of short years later he's wanted for shooting someone. There are a lot of baby steps between those two things, and perhaps if the people with leadership roles around him (for example, Arenas) in the early part of his career had more of his best interests at heart, this unfortunate crime would never have happened.
The point of this discussion isn't to find someone other than Crittenton to blame, it's to figure out how to keep seemingly good kids from turning out like this once they go pro. One pretty solid way to do that is to have better role models and managers (for example, this would be a great role for former players) around to teach these kids how to not end up broke, in jail, or dead.
posted by dfleming at 09:32 PM on August 29, 2011
I don't think it's a matter of the team, or league, could/should of supplied a personal assistant to players like this guy. I think of it more as a wise business decision to do so. From a business perspective the owners would be wise to protect their investments. I'd put an assistant on every player, and keep them there until the player proves themselves mature enough to not need it.
Of course, that means some guys like Favre and Big Ben keep them throughout their careers, but so what. The cost would be nothing compared to having a player suspended, arrested, or killed.
posted by dviking at 09:33 PM on August 29, 2011
In a lot of companies that hire a lot of young people fresh out of college, there are a lot of programs to get them into a grown way of thinking. For instance, law firms that hire a lot of kids fresh out of college as paralegals have programs about professionalism and how to conduct yourself and provide mentors to help along the way. It is absolutely the right thing to do, and it would be wise for teams to focus on that sort of thing as well.
posted by bperk at 11:31 AM on August 30, 2011
At least the shooting didn't occur in the District of Columbia. The cops there would still not be aware that a homicide had occurred.
Just noticed that they nabbed him at the airport.
posted by beaverboard at 11:59 AM on August 30, 2011
Crittenton was a first-rounder and played three seasons before "the incident." He had an opportunity to do a lot of things before he brought a gun into the locker room.
He was oft-injured and over-matched, which really in combination with what happened screams that he wasn't mature enough for the NBA. I mean, look at his record before he decided to go pro immediately:
- Crittenton carried a 3.5 GPA in high school, and was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America and the Senior Beta Club.
- While at Georgia Tech, Crittenton excelled and was considered a team leader, a rare accolade for a freshman.
A lack of maturity and the means to do whatever the hell you want are a bad combination.