In fact, Silver used the words 'image problem' in an interview Friday morning on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" show:
"We spend a lot of time here educating our players on guns. We have a rookie transition program where there are several seminars about, of course, the dangers of guns. But, also, players do have a legal right to guns in certain jurisdictions and we assist our players if they are insistent on having a gun, how to do it legally.
"In this case, at least, the allegation is Raymond didn't have a legal gun in New York. So it's a problem for all of us; it's an image problem for the league."
Silver, in making the league's first public comments on Felton's arrest, said his office will wait until the legal process is completed before deciding on any punishment for the Knicks point guard.
"We certainly believe in due process at the NBA, and he gets the presumption of innocence," Silver said.
