Here tore his MCL during his historic 06-07, like literally a week before the playoffs. He sat out most of the 07-08 season rehabbing that injury, but towards April he tried to come back. I remember the Wizard doctors wouldn't clear him but Arenas was adamant on playing, he played for a little bit and a few games against the Cavs in the 08 playoffs, but he hurt his knee again and sat out for the rest of the series. He never fully recovered from that knee injury and rushing back and sat out most of the 08-09 season except for like 2 games.

So at this point, Gilbert hasn't really played basketball since the 06-07 season. He's been injured for 2 years, and he only damaged his knee more by trying to come back from his MCL injury which hadn't fully healed. He finally played for the Wizards in 09-10, and he actually wasn't bad. There were nights where he looked like Hibachi out there, and he was putting like like 23 on 42% from the field, so it looked like he was actually getting back to his old form. But of course, the whole gun shit happened, and he was suspended for the rest of the season.

So now here were at 2010-2011. Since 2006-2007, the most amount of games he's played in a full season are 32, which was the year prior. He basically sat out 07-08 and 08-09 and didn't even play half the previous season; he about 4 years removed from Hibachi at this point and has suffered a serious knee injury with setbacks. He was 29, nearing the end of his physical prime, and as a guard who relied so much on his speed and athleticism, he just couldn't go back to playing like he used to. He did put up 17 a game for part of that season on the Wizards, but on like 39% from the field. He was awful in Orlando for the rest of his time, and not that good in the playoffs. He tried a comeback with the Grizz the next year, but at that point it was pretty clear he was done.

Honestly, the guns thing wasn't really Arenas's downfall, he was already done before that. That MCL injury and him rushing back from it against doctor's orders was the biggest mistake. It also brings light to this idea that guys should be out there playing instead of putting their health first. I mean it's the same thing that happened to Rose, as a player this is your livelihood, it's most likely the only way you'll have an income, you need to consider that you first priority instead of rushing out there, doing further damage to your body, just so a bunch of dumbass sportswriters and guys on the internet, who frankly don't know much about the game, don't criticize you.