NBA all-star Gilbert Arenas, whose joking pistols-at-dawn challenge to a pissed-off teammate was no laughing matter to the league, is absent from fan voting on the NBA Jam roster. EA Sports says itās not entirely because of his legal troubles.
Speaking to The Sporting Newsā First Cuts blog, an Electronic Arts spokesman attributed Arenasā absence to āproduction deadlines and Gilbertās current inactive status as a result of the suspension.ā However, the publisher promises it will ācontinue to monitor the situationā and that it has the ability to update the game through downloadable content.
Thatās pretty good news actually ā post-release DLC support for a sports title on the Wii is unfortunately not that common. So now that EAās acknowledged such plans, one hopes weāll see other updates to NBA Jam, not just Arenasā inclusion once he gets out of the penalty box.
As to that, today Arenas was sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house and 400 hours of community service for his conviction on violating District of Columbia gun laws on Dec. 21. Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton had been in a dispute over a gambling debt, which Arenas mockingly suggested they settle by bringing guns to the team clubhouse and implying that Crittenton pick one for a duel.
EA Responds to Gilbert Arenas NBA Jam Question [First Cuts via Pasta Padre]
