Gilbert Arenas' decided speeding with a truck filled with illegal fireworks on a Los Angeles road was an excellent idea; too bad his plot foiled when the cops showed up Thursday morning.
Cops found the former Washington Wizards guard's Ford pickup truck bed was carrying more than 20 boxes of illegal fireworks, according to TMZ.com. The Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad was called to the scene.
The former NBA player was reportedly driving 80 miles per hour when authorities pulled him over by the California Highway Patrol. TMZ reported the stop was made approximately at 2:30 a.m. PDT.
Arenas was released around 7 a.m. PDT and charged with misdemeanor possession. He reportedly had 100 pounds of fireworks in his truck.
In 2010, Arenas was arrested for gun possession when he pulled out a loaded pistol in the Wizard's locker room. According to multiple reports, he was charged with a felony, and granted a plea deal. He was sentenced to two years of probation and 30 days in a halfway house.
Arenas signed a six-year, $111 million contract with the Wizards in 2008. The Los Angeles Times reported there is more than $60 million left on his NBA contract.
Arenas did an interview with SLAM last March. The former Wizard said he has no intentions of returning to the NBA. He wants to spend more time with his family; Arenas was playing for a Chinese league at the time of the interview.
"Being in the NBA, you don't really get to enjoy your family life because you're always on the road, you're always gone," Arenas said. "After this season will be the first time I'll get to be with my kids for a long period of time....32 games a year (the length of the Chinese season). Maximum 36 minutes. That's all I need at this point in my career. So as long as China teams want me, I'll be here."
To see the video of Arenas' arrest, click here.
