Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
In Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States of America, professional basketball player Gilbert Arenas brought guns into his team's locker room. As a result, he was suspended for more than half of the season and spent a month in a halfway house. Javaris Crittenton, a teammate, also brought a gun into the locker room, and faced similar punishment. He is now awaiting trial on murder charges in Atlanta.
In Moscow, the capital of Russia, professional basketball player Andrei Kirilenko posed with an AK-47 assault rifle brought to an introductory press conference by CSKA Moscow team president Andrei Vatutin. Later, two of Kirilenko's teammates played with the AK in uniform on the bench. It does not appear that fans are in the arena, but ... (GIF below.)
This GIF, which shows Sammy Mejia and Jamont Jordan, American-born CSKA players, is from JazzFanatical, which has even more action shots of the AK-47.
This is disturbing. Russia clearly has a different relationship with guns than does America -- well, most parts of America -- but the concept that "playing around with an AK-47 is not a good idea" should be universal. Plus, Mejia and Jordan are American, and Kirilenko has lived in the United States for a decade. They should know better. Assault rifles are not toys.
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Not funny to America
not sure how it’s taken in Russia, but seeing Americans doing this in Russia even if Russians are laughing about it isn’t good.
As for Kirilenko with an AK 47, well, we gave him the nickname so if he posed with one once, I won’t hold it against him.
by thewiz06 on Oct 7, 2011 11:37 AM EDT reply actions
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