Gilbert Arenas Uses His Time Off to Get Married

Facing another setback in his return from knee surgery, Gilbert Arenas has decided to divert his energies ... and get married. From the non-sports section of The Washington Post:

"Life is about growth and getting smarter about the choices we make," Arenas said in an e-mail. "Being a husband and father will require both of those!"

[...]

Arenas, 26, and Govan, 29, have had an interesting journey. They met in 2001, when he was a Golden State Warriors draft pick and she was doing PR for the Sacramento Kings. They split two years later but clearly stayed in touch: He was by her side when she delivered their daughter, Izela Semaya, in December 2005. And then a messy paternity dispute -- lawyers, ducked subpoenas, the whole catastrophe -- that they somehow worked through. He moved her to NoVa in '06, and in March '07, she had his son, Alijah Amani.

Not that everything NBA players do has to be viewed through the lens of public relations, but stuff like this really helps Arenas. All we hear are the crazy anecdotes. And yet when you piece them all together, you usually end up with a picture of a fairly well-meaning, slightly confused young man who wants to do right by himself and others. So despite the slapstick moments -- or really downers, I guess -- of this relationship, the fact that Gil's ultimately realized his heart's in it for the long haul is a sign that, indeed, Arenas does have a horizon of maturity.

And yeah, that does bode well for Arenas, the player. Unless you're a total ass, you can't stay a kid forever. You can maintain that same energy, but sooner or later, it's time to buckle down and apply it toward a goal -- and other people.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.