Arenas, Crittenton suspended for rest of season

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gilbert Arenas and Washington Wizards team mate Javaris Crittenton were suspended without pay for the rest of the NBA season on Wednesday for bringing guns into the team's locker room.

NBA commissioner David Stern, who met with both players this week to discuss last month's incident, said there was no justification for their actions and that guns in the workplace would not be tolerated by the league.

"We mean what we say when we say that guns are prohibited from being in our buildings and in team business," Stern said on a conference call.

"And if you violate that prohibition ... you will be dealt with harshly because it's very potentially dangerous to our players and to anyone else who might be involved."

Following a dispute during a flight home from a game in December, the two players later brought weapons into the locker room at the team's arena. NBA rules prohibit players from bringing firearms to league and team facilities.

Stern said both Arenas and Crittenton expressed remorse for their actions and an understanding of the seriousness of their transgressions during face-to-face meetings with both players that lasted about an hour each.

Arenas, 28, had already been suspended indefinitely by the NBA pending an investigation and the Wizards have since removed all likenesses of him from their arena.

"Mr. Arenas respects Commissioner Stern's decision to issue a suspension for the remainder of the season," Arenas's attorney, Ken Wainstein, said in a statement.

"Mr. Arenas recognizes that his actions were a serious violation of the law and league rules and were detrimental to the NBA and its reputation.