Sports documentaries are a favorite of mine, and today [Tuesday, May 6], Netflix debuts Untold: Shooting Guards, the story of what went down in the Washington Wizards’ locker room in 2009.
Having grown up in the Washington, DC area and being an avid fan of the NBA, I’ve found myself mystified over the years by the 2009 gun incident between then-Washington Wizards superstar Gilbert Arenas and his teammate, Jarvaris Crittenton. Arenas, in particular, earned the respect of fans and many top players in the league at the time, as a prolific point guard. To this day, he shares a record for the most points scored by a Wizard in a game with Bradley Beal. So imagine how shocked I was when he took a sledgehammer to his career in a dumbfounding argument.
For those who aren’t as familiar, as reported by NBC’s local DC news, on December 19, 2009, Arenas and Crittenton were with the team on a plane heading back from a road trip out West. The two men wound up getting into an argument over gambling losses. As arguing ensued, court documents allege:
"Arenas threatened to shoot Crittenton in the face, and Crittenton said he'd shoot Arenas in his bad knee. Their dispute became heated when the team reconvened for practice two days later, when Arenas took the guns from his locker and Crittenton produced his gun as well."
It didn’t take long for news of the incident to make its way to the press and cause a media frenzy. In response, the NBA Commissioner at the time, David Stern, called for the players to serve lengthy suspensions, and both Crittenton and Arenas pleaded guilty to gun-related charges.
Fast forward to the present, and Netflix looks to take a deep dive into the whole ordeal through this riveting new Untold episode. Here is an official synopsis of Untold: Shooting Guards:
"Former Washington Wizards teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton shook the basketball world with their infamous gun incident in 2009, but what really went down when guns were drawn in their NBA locker room? Through raw first-hand accounts, Arenas and Crittenton unpack the events that had a life-altering impact on both men, and ultimately led Crittenton down a dark and tragic path. For the first time, this eye-opening documentary reveals the full story."
If you still need an extra nudge to tune in, check out the trailer below. By the way, you’ll need a subscription to Netflix to watch Untold: Shooting Guards. Currently, the streamer offers several options for would-be subscribers.
Untold: Shooting Guards is on Netflix now in the US and UK. Check out our best shows on Netflix guide for more documentaries and series to enjoy.
