Is Gilbert depressed?

[The Fax]

The long beard, the statue facial expression, just his overall aura is really starting to make me believe he's clinically depressed. Of course, I have no clue how he is truly feeling, but something I witnessed sort of leads me to think I just may be correct in my assumptions. I saw this guy at the movie theater at Tysons in northern VA a couple weeks ago and he was exhibiting the same things i just described, fans were going up to him and he would flat out ignore them. Some guy even went up with his small kid and asked for a picture and Gil simply told him "No". Is he so bummed because he's still on the Wizards? What the hell is up? I mean we get it, he's missed a bunch of games the past few years, Shaq banged his fiance, he made a pretty dumb mistake with the gun joke yeah, but that will all be forgotten if he just plays well and mans up. He doesn't have to act like the whole world is against him because that's simply not the case. I'm afraid his whole "basketball is my job, i don't smile anymore" mentality could be cancerous to what is looking like a nice young rejuvenated team.

Now don't get me wrong, I've been a huge supporter of Gil even throughout his injuries and the whole gun fiasco, but I don't think having him on this squad any longer is a good idea. Sure he may score a bunch of points, but is his negative energy really worth it? Honestly, I think he's going to have an "i don't give a **** mentality" and not really grasp the whole team concept. He's going to jack up those 24 footers left and right and drive Flip Saunders crazy. As tough as it may be, I think we need to cut ties with him asap. Expressing his desire to "move on" should be the last straw.

[AceDegenerate]

Wow, if you honestly witnessed that with your own eyes; I don't even know what to think anymore. You're positive you saw Arenas turn down a small child like that? That's so unlike anything I've ever heard of him that it's baffling.

I mean seriously, we have an owner who is in the business of Happiness right? I'd really like an honest account of what went down in their meeting because it's becoming more and more apparent that there is way more to this situation than meets the eye.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

His mom died. He's no longer the man in DC, Wall is. He went to jail/halfway house on a felony conviction. His team abandoned him by taking down his likeness, taking his jersey off the sales rack, and by publicly condemning him before the criminal case even unfolded in a court of law. He's criticized by media--the same folks who couldn't get enough of Agent Zero or Gilbertology or the blog before. You mentioned the thing with Shaq and the mother of his child(ren)--I don't know but it's out there. Add to that the suspension and millions of dollars lost, as well as all future endorsements and the deals he had gone.

I have an answer for you:

Gilbert's doing damned fine just to be in great basketball shape hitting shots. I accept his mature response and am happy he doesn't feel the need to put on a damned show for anybody. He's been kind to his teammates. I think Gil's doing great!

Is he depressed? WTF if he is? I've been there and done that and the good news is you get over it and smile in time, if you can count your blessings along the way. When you really get good at it you can smile no matter what the heck isn't going particularly the way you'd planned or expected. I hope Gilbert sees blessings. When one door closes another opens.

Gil's talk of moving on is actually very healthy IMO.

You want to cut ties with him ASAP. Great. Just remember you might go through something some day, too. And if you have, just remember what it felt like when folks cut ties with you.

[AceDegenerate]

My only issue is what The Fax claimed to witness involving his fan interaction, specifically with a small child. The fans who have supported him, and continue to support him do not deserve the cold shoulder treatment he is giving the media. This is just 1 random guy on a message forum claiming to witness this, but the claim is pretty brash and I just don't know what to make of it if it's really true.

[LyricalRico]

Wasn't there an article some years ago that chronicled his young years and everything that happened with his family? I remember that being pretty eye opening as to his formative years. There's probably some stuff that's still unresolved in his mind/heart. That's why he keeps jumping from one defense mechanism to another (first the class clown, now the aloof veteran, and all the while being a basketball junkie). And having your life play out on a public stage just multiplies everything 100 fold. I really do worry about what kind of life he'll have when he eventually retires.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

I hope he's not doing this as a way to force himself out. That would be downright disrespectful to the fans who've been with him and have been patiently waiting for him to get consistently back on the court.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

There are players who don't smile, don't sign, and don't give a damn. If Gil is not fan friendly any more, then it truly could be the guy's really down and out.

I would be more concerned for Arenas than a person that didn't get him to act like he gave a damn at that time. If I go to the movies I might not want to be bothered, either, and nobody's asking me for pictures and what not.

I don't know the circumstances but I feel like Gil has lots of things going on right now and most fans don't give a damn about his concerns ... either.

[Ed Wood]

Playing psychiatrist from afar is pretty much an enormous waste of time and generally a disservice to whomever you claim as your patient but it isn't that hard to believe that Gil might be eligible for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder or Dysthymic Disorder if not simply in a bad place.

Certainly the combination of the death of a parent and his troubles could have served as a stressor, and from his perspective you have to understand that he hasn't simply been treated like he made a mistake, as we might perceive, he's been called a criminal and even a sociopath at various points by people with some public voice and I have to believe that would be very hard, particularly for Gilbert.

I wouldn't say that it isn't an issue if Gil is depressed, in the clinical sense in addition to the colloquial sense; but it's an issue in that it's something that I would hope he could receive help dealing with, and not something that I'd consider a "last straw." And personal stress and anhedonia are hardly proof positive that Gil is going to play selfishly, every indication he's given suggests that he intends to be, if anything, overly team-oriented and subsume his own talents excessively.

Gil certainly seems to have been changed by what he's gone through but that's to be expected, and no particular reason that I can see to separate him from the team.

[Halcyon]

Hopefully once he starts playing good basketball and they get some wins, his attitude changes (assuming he really is "unhappy" right now). I mean as CCJ said, this guy has gone through a lot and I wouldn't blame the guy if it's changed the way he views things in life, or ruined his outlook. Right now I wouldn't worry about shipping the guy out, but I would start to get worried if he acts the same after big wins and big individual performances. Because if that happens, it might mean he's damaged goods, in more ways than one, and this would be detrimental to the team to have a distraction like that.

Edit: playing armchair psychologist of course

[Wizards2Lottery]

I've dealt with a bunch of **** in my life and I know how it feels when you reach a complete low point where everything seems lost, you have no one to turn to and every one wants to pile up on you and make a **** example and treat you like a complete disgrace to society.

I don't think he's depressed. When you face depression, you don't feel like doing anything and you can't concentrate on anything. Gilbert seems to be in excellent shape and he still looks to be a good player. I think he's lost trust in society. He gave this city so much joy and so much of his heart and when time came for the city to support him, every one turned their back. Completely alienating him and trying to make an example out of him? Give me a **** break, the way this franchise treated him was complete bush league.

This isn't even taking into account that his mother died and he never got closure on that situation. What a completely **** situation man. Poor Gilbert, I want to give him a hug.

[KiNgSbOi]

You def. have to feel for Gil, he's been through plenty the last couple of years. It all went down south after his first knee injury. It's completely understandable if he indeed is depressed and what not, thank god he is playing basketball still and hungry to get back into basketball shape. I don't think it would be very healthy for him to sit out anymore of anything and just go and play his game. He doesn't have to be the Gil of old, because I doubt that Gil ever comes back. He pretty much witnessed everything a grown man can, criminal charges, family death, money loss, etc. He sure has made a full 360 of just how tough life can be for an individual. Give it time, whether his wounds slowly heal with this team or the next team he goes to, that is all up to him and how he handles situations from here on out. I wish nothing but the best for Gil and I sure hope playing some basketball this season will at the very least cheer him up to a certain degree and have him smiling and communicating.

[hands11]

Betrayal from those you needed to be trustworthy is the deepest wound. I'm not sure it ever truly heals. So Gil got off to a rough start before he ever became a basketball player.

Then with all the success, the cup starts to feel like it is getting filled. I think it is natural for a person like that to not know what to do. It would be easy for a person in that situation to have an issue balancing everything, specially the ego with success.

Then to have it all taken away again just bring up the original pain of the betrayal, which was abandonment.

We go through stages in life. The innocents of youth to more mature grown men. The old Gil you saw won't likely be back but is that what would really be good for Gil. That is the Gil that lead to this Gil. I think with the right people around him and in time and some with some positive things happening around him, he will heal. It may be slowly, which is probably a good thing. Same with Daryl Green. All smiles. But professional. Another great.

He was already smiling on the side lines. I just hope this time he builds himself up with a stronger foundation. Something that is more mature and more manageable. Not swings from high to low. Something more progressively steady. Look at Wall. He isn't all smiles all the time. He is very serious. But he also finds moments to have fun. He does the dance, etc. But he says all the right things.

Gil will find success on the court. He will hear the cheers. He will smile. But he will be more serious in between. But how is that any different than a lot of the better NBA stars. The best players are not goof balls. They are about their business first. They joke and smile in between. And they are usually pretty tight lipped to the press. They say the right things. They keep a level keel throughout the season because they are going for the RING. The ones that aren't like that come across as flakes.

Hey, Randy Moss is very talented. So is TO. But they are flakes. There is a big difference between them and a Jerry Rice. But Jerry will be remembered as probably the best every. Jerry was all smiles. He just wasn't a flake. He is a professional.

[cwb3]

I was watching Gil closely during the Wizards/Mav's game, and he seemed to be working hard and looked engaged on the court. How hard he plays is what I will be looking for. Everything off the court can only be conjecture on our part.

[Zonkerbl]

Funny how he made that statement about his time being over and everybody heard him demanding a trade. What I heard him say is he can feel the permanent damage he did to his knee and he is no longer a top ten player, so it's up to JW to be the franchise player now. It did sound a little bitter, but you know, I'd be frickin bitter too if I'd been through the same stuff he had. Shoot, I'm pretty bitter anyway.

[keynote]

From the DC Sports Bog:


In all seriousness, we really don't have enough info to diagnose Gil's mental state one way or another. There are athletes who we might argue have had their career cut short or harmed by depression (I'm thinking of Vin Baker, in particular). I agree that, regardless of the official clinical diagnosis, Gil could certainly benefit from talking to a counselor - but then again, so could many of us.

[PerkinsFor3]

“It’s a double-headed sword,” Arenas said. “I guess at this point I’m at that point where people are going to nitpick everything I do just because I got in trouble, so … I’ve just got to be serious and worry about what I’m doing.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-wizards-arenas

A double headed sword?

[dangermouse]

“It’s a double-headed sword,” Arenas said. “I guess at this point I’m at that point where people are going to nitpick everything I do just because I got in trouble, so … I’ve just got to be serious and worry about what I’m doing.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-wizards-arenas

A double headed sword?

[daSwami]

this thread is making ME depressed.

[cdouglas]

Anything that has to do with Gil by the media, I'm going to close my ears. They're toxic so in our best interest and the team's, we need to ignore them.

[CaPtaiN eYeSaNo]

Anything that has to do with Gil by the media, I'm going to close my ears. They're toxic so in our best interest and the team's, we need to ignore them.