New Jersey Nets Become First NBA Team To Ban Gambling On Team Flights

Before the alleged confrontation / conflict / exchange / joke gone bad between Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, there were a bunch of players, a card game (Bourré, if you're curious) and some really high stakes. Gambling over card games is normally a part of NBA culture, so long long as nobody brings in their guns to work over it.

But seeing as two players did, in fact, bring their guns to work over it, it's not too surprising to hear that the New Jersey Nets are banning gambling on team flights. The Nets will likely just be the first of many teams to make this sort of move.

But will the league do anything? Mark Bartelstein, who ironically is Crittenton's agent, believes the NBA should change their rules. However, enforcing these rules could prove to be impossible once the card games inevitably transfer from the team plane to the team bus to the hotel room in the wee hours of the morning. 

My guess? The NBA will write in some language preventing gambling on team functions, but teams won't be able to properly enforce those rules and the whole culture of gambling will continue until two other players take their gambling dispute too far. I keep telling myself this will happen to numb the pain of seeing my favorite player go down in flames.