Arenas Rips the Cavs (again)

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Arenas Rips the Cavs
D.C. Sports Bog by Dan Steinberg
October 28, 2008; 10:14 AM ET

If it's NBA season opener time, then it must be "attempt to rile up Cleveland fans" time, both for the Wizards and the bloggers who cling to them. And work for them.

I previously posted about Gilbert's cover-story interview with Dime magazine, but the online version was edited, and they took out the juiciest stuff.

Over the weekend, I finally read the full story, and the edited parts contained Gilbert's praise for DeShawn Stevenson and his broadside at the Cavs. It feels like I've read this before, so I'm sure he's said something similar in the past. When you do nothing but write and talk for 18 months, you're gonna occasionally repeat yourself. But still. Here's what he said about the Cavs beating up on the injured Wiz during the playoffs.

You can't do anything. We played them last year in Washington and LeBron was injured. We were beating them by 30-something points. I told them, "You guys look like a bad NCAA team." I was like, "Yeah, it ain't easy when LeBron ain't out there. You guys are [bleep]. You guys are garbage. You look like our practice team." They've got one megastar who's carrying them, but you take him off the team and they're the Cleveland NBDL team.

Don't let me speak for Wizards fans, but if I were speaking for Wiz fans, I'd say at this point please just keep battering Cleveland. It's great fun. If you accept the fact that Washington will never ever win on the court, at least against that particular team, you might as well enjoy Washington scoring repeated verbal knockouts off it.

Gil was also asked whether DeShawn stupidly riled up LeBron by making that series into the most wildly entertaining first rounder of the year. Gil's response:

No. LeBron's scoring 30 because LeBron always scores 30. It's not like he's scoring 30 because he's mad; that's what he does....People like Charles Barkley saying DeShawn's an idiot for getting LeBron riled up; you didn't need stuff to get riled up when you were playing against Michael Jordan and those guys? Everyone talked so much trash, but that was the No. 1 watched series in the first round. We had Jay-Z making diss tapes. We had Soulja Boy. We made money for the NBA. It was an exciting series. What more do you want? People are saying DeShawn is stupid--he can't be that stupid if he made one comment and now we're playing [Cleveland] on Christmas Day. I've been in the League seven years and never played on Christmas. That one comment got us a Christmas game. That's called marketing to me.

Of course, DeShawn has now promised no more antics until Gilbert returned, so apparently the marketing department has been put on hold for a few months. That's ok. We'll wait.

[chiefwahoo]

Here we go again.

I wish this guy would just go away. Can't wait till they're the 8th seed this year and we can take out the trash again in the opening round.

[Mike C]

I love it. Keep it coming Gilbert. I respect anyone who doesn't let reality slow them down.

And after signing a deal for $111 Million, you had better act like you're gonna beat the Cavs, otherwise the Wizards just wasted 9 figures on a guaranteed loser. I disagree with what Arenas is saying, but hell, might as well keep the thing rolling. Right now he's stuck in Washington, and the Wizards are stuck with him.

Don't take it personally Cavs fans, the scoreboard don't lie.

[Jon]

Great marketing Gilbert... however if Stevenson had kept his mouth shut maybe the Wiz could have stolen a game or two. But I guess if you know you're going down, you might as well make it fun.

Larry would approve!

[jvpertz]

Honestly, my dream season would be for us to win 60 in the regular season and go on to win in the Finals.

However, the cherry on top would be a 1st round matchup against the Wiz with us sweeping them out of the first round. That would be the dream season.

[chiefwahoo]

Changed the thread title because my first reaction was 'Dan Gilbert?'

[KU_216]

I've been in the League seven years and never played on Christmas.

Looks like you won't again this year, either!

Seriously, does anyone pay attention to this guy anymore? He blogs more then he plays the game of basketball. If he put half as much effort into rehabbing his knee, as he did blogging, maybe we'd see him play once in a while. He didn't get called a 0 for nothing.

[Rick Astley]

Looking forward for the Cavs to rip Arenas a 3rd new asshole. Or maybe just loosen the same asshole.

[BigErieCavsFan]

It's a good thing for him that they play us on x-mas, becuase I highly doubt we see them in the playoffs this year. I don't expect them to make it...

[Chris]

Who cares?

I'd say we'll kill them for a FOURTH year in a row but I question whether they will even make the playoffs.

[theSTEREO.]

Don't let me speak for Wizards fans, but if I were speaking for Wiz fans, I'd say at this point please just keep battering Cleveland. It's great fun. If you accept the fact that Washington will never ever win on the court, at least against that particular team, you might as well enjoy Washington scoring repeated verbal knockouts off it.

No. LeBron's scoring 30 because LeBron always scores 30. It's not like he's scoring 30 because he's mad; that's what he does....People like Charles Barkley saying DeShawn's an idiot for getting LeBron riled up; you didn't need stuff to get riled up when you were playing against Michael Jordan and those guys? Everyone talked so much trash, but that was the No. 1 watched series in the first round. We had Jay-Z making diss tapes. We had Soulja Boy. We made money for the NBA. It was an exciting series. What more do you want? People are saying DeShawn is stupid--he can't be that stupid if he made one comment and now we're playing [Cleveland] on Christmas Day. I've been in the League seven years and never played on Christmas. That one comment got us a Christmas game. That's called marketing to me.

Actually... Well stated. As far as marketing and making the series and the Wiz relevant... Gilbert's right. It sure made for an interesting series.


Final response though... See my sig from last year's playoffs:

[RappSoda]

I'm sure DeShawn had marketing in mind when he made those comments. That would not have been Arenas's tone had they won the series. I'm sure we will do better than them, I don't know why he continues, but at this point its free entertainment for me.

[sam_slam911]

Man I wish tha NBA would let us have a fight. Cavs versus Wizards. Just 10 minutes of the officials lookin the other way.

[The George]

man Arenas is a douche....His mouth got him 111 million...got to give him credit for that

but man he is a douche

[MYoung23]

I called 3 straight playoff wins with a 12-4 record

BOHICA