duncan228
05-09-2009, 03:28 PM
3 thoughts from Ron Artest (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/ian_thomsen/05/08/weekly.countdown/2.html)
Ian Thomsen
SI.com
These quotes come from Artest's interview with me last month in Houston.
3. On scoring in the playoffs. Artest became more prominent offensively in February after Tracy McGrady was sidelined by a knee injury. Despite an early-season ankle injury, Artest had a strong second half to average 17.1 ppg overall this season:
"For some reason everybody was saying the Rockets are not good, but they were not taking into consideration that we were banged up," Artest said. "I heard that Charles Barkley went on TV [and] said the Rockets are horrible, they're not going to make it past the first round. He wasn't giving us any credit for the adversity that we faced. When I look at him, he was a guy who had a chance to win a championship, and when he faced adversity I don't think he overcame it. He had Michael Jordan in front of him; now we have guys like Kobe Bryant and LeBron in front of us, and we're still trying to fight for a championship. And he really didn't respect that. So I called him; I said, 'Why don't you respect us? Why don't you give us no props?' He said, 'I don't think you guys can score the ball enough to win in the playoffs.'"
I have to admit here that I agree with Barkley: I've written that the Rockets don't have enough scoring to beat the Lakers. Yet Artest has scored 46 in the opening two games at Los Angeles as the Rockets seized homecourt advantage from the Lakers in their Western semifinal.
"If Yao [Ming] averages 20, and I'm averaging 20, I don't know how we can't score the ball," continued Artest. "Look at me -- when I was playing after T-Mac left and my ankle got better, my numbers were right up there with some of the best. I just didn't see how we couldn't score the ball."
I mentioned that Paul Pierce contributed to a championship by defending more and scoring less. Artest replied that Pierce will enter the Hall of Fame someday because of that championship. "That's what counts, that's what's going to make you great," Artest said. "That's why Paul Pierce moved ahead of Charles Barkley. I don't think Charles Barkley is top 50 no more, I think it's Paul Pierce. I think Paul Pierce just knocked him out."
I asked Artest if he can be up there with Pierce.
"Got to get that ring. I mean, there's nothing without that ring. Got to get that ring."
2. On his emotions. Artest was ejected with 6:57 left in Game 2 Wednesday in the Rockets' 111-98 loss at Los Angeles. But he wasn't the only violator: the Lakers' Derek Fisher also was ejected, and a total of five players on both teams earned technicals in what was an emotional game.
"For the most part you've got to think the game," he said. "It's impossible to stay like this (low-key) for the whole time. But for the most part you've got to able to think, and you can't think with emotion.
"It's too hard, there are too many things that your mind has to be focused on rather than being caught up in the moment too much. There's always going to be a time for getting caught up in the moment, but emotion takes too much out of the game. Having a medium tone mentally, you're able to overcome any adversity during the game. And you're able to not get too big-headed, you're able to stay more level-headed during the game."
Artest was assessed just three technicals during the regular season. In his first year with the Rockets he avoided the inflammatory incidents that threatened his ruin in the past.
"Sometimes I want one, like when I'm not going to the free throw line," he said, smiling. "I let it slide all the time, every time. I let it slide so much that I think [the officials] know I'm not going to say anything to them. Because I don't really talk to the refs. I'm not going to say anything, so sometimes they miss a lot of calls. But that's all right."
1. On Kobe Bryant. When Artest heard rumors of a trade from Sacramento last summer, he assumed he would be going to the Lakers.
"I was playing in a streetball game in New York City -- I was in a gym playing with a tournament -- and after the game we went to eat at a Houston's restaurant. So we were going to Houston's and my friend said, 'Ron, you got traded.' The only trade that I knew of was the L.A. trade, and I'm like, oh, I'm going to L.A. -- let me call Kobe really fast to tell Kobe that I'm going to see him in a little bit. Then he said, no, I'm going to Houston.
"I said that's not possible. How am I going to Houston? That's like me going to San Antonio or Utah. I'm like, that's impossible -- those teams are not going to risk a Ron Artest. Even though I know I'm getting more mature and I know they can use a Ron Artest and I know I can adapt to that type of team.
"And I got a call that night from my agent (David Bauman), he said, 'You're going to Houston.' I was like, oh my goodness, these people don't even know what they done did. We're getting a ring. And then Mac got hurt, and I still say we're getting a ring."
Much is being made of Artest's attempts to create a rivalry with Bryant, but in our conversation he presented a different view of the relationship.
"We have a respect for each other, playing against each other over the years, that led to us really talking to each other," said Artest. "Kobe loves basketball. He probably thinks he loves basketball more than anybody. I don't think that he loves it as much as me. I mean, I don't know how much he loves it -- I don't work out with him in the summer. We just respect each other, and I love his game. You've got to love somebody who reminds you of Michael Jordan. Let's face it, when Michael Jordan left, something was empty in a lot of peoples' hearts, and now there's Kobe Bryant playing like Michael Jordan. You get a chance to see Michael Jordan every day."
Ian Thomsen
SI.com
These quotes come from Artest's interview with me last month in Houston.
3. On scoring in the playoffs. Artest became more prominent offensively in February after Tracy McGrady was sidelined by a knee injury. Despite an early-season ankle injury, Artest had a strong second half to average 17.1 ppg overall this season:
"For some reason everybody was saying the Rockets are not good, but they were not taking into consideration that we were banged up," Artest said. "I heard that Charles Barkley went on TV [and] said the Rockets are horrible, they're not going to make it past the first round. He wasn't giving us any credit for the adversity that we faced. When I look at him, he was a guy who had a chance to win a championship, and when he faced adversity I don't think he overcame it. He had Michael Jordan in front of him; now we have guys like Kobe Bryant and LeBron in front of us, and we're still trying to fight for a championship. And he really didn't respect that. So I called him; I said, 'Why don't you respect us? Why don't you give us no props?' He said, 'I don't think you guys can score the ball enough to win in the playoffs.'"
I have to admit here that I agree with Barkley: I've written that the Rockets don't have enough scoring to beat the Lakers. Yet Artest has scored 46 in the opening two games at Los Angeles as the Rockets seized homecourt advantage from the Lakers in their Western semifinal.
"If Yao [Ming] averages 20, and I'm averaging 20, I don't know how we can't score the ball," continued Artest. "Look at me -- when I was playing after T-Mac left and my ankle got better, my numbers were right up there with some of the best. I just didn't see how we couldn't score the ball."
I mentioned that Paul Pierce contributed to a championship by defending more and scoring less. Artest replied that Pierce will enter the Hall of Fame someday because of that championship. "That's what counts, that's what's going to make you great," Artest said. "That's why Paul Pierce moved ahead of Charles Barkley. I don't think Charles Barkley is top 50 no more, I think it's Paul Pierce. I think Paul Pierce just knocked him out."
I asked Artest if he can be up there with Pierce.
"Got to get that ring. I mean, there's nothing without that ring. Got to get that ring."
2. On his emotions. Artest was ejected with 6:57 left in Game 2 Wednesday in the Rockets' 111-98 loss at Los Angeles. But he wasn't the only violator: the Lakers' Derek Fisher also was ejected, and a total of five players on both teams earned technicals in what was an emotional game.
"For the most part you've got to think the game," he said. "It's impossible to stay like this (low-key) for the whole time. But for the most part you've got to able to think, and you can't think with emotion.
"It's too hard, there are too many things that your mind has to be focused on rather than being caught up in the moment too much. There's always going to be a time for getting caught up in the moment, but emotion takes too much out of the game. Having a medium tone mentally, you're able to overcome any adversity during the game. And you're able to not get too big-headed, you're able to stay more level-headed during the game."
Artest was assessed just three technicals during the regular season. In his first year with the Rockets he avoided the inflammatory incidents that threatened his ruin in the past.
"Sometimes I want one, like when I'm not going to the free throw line," he said, smiling. "I let it slide all the time, every time. I let it slide so much that I think [the officials] know I'm not going to say anything to them. Because I don't really talk to the refs. I'm not going to say anything, so sometimes they miss a lot of calls. But that's all right."
1. On Kobe Bryant. When Artest heard rumors of a trade from Sacramento last summer, he assumed he would be going to the Lakers.
"I was playing in a streetball game in New York City -- I was in a gym playing with a tournament -- and after the game we went to eat at a Houston's restaurant. So we were going to Houston's and my friend said, 'Ron, you got traded.' The only trade that I knew of was the L.A. trade, and I'm like, oh, I'm going to L.A. -- let me call Kobe really fast to tell Kobe that I'm going to see him in a little bit. Then he said, no, I'm going to Houston.
"I said that's not possible. How am I going to Houston? That's like me going to San Antonio or Utah. I'm like, that's impossible -- those teams are not going to risk a Ron Artest. Even though I know I'm getting more mature and I know they can use a Ron Artest and I know I can adapt to that type of team.
"And I got a call that night from my agent (David Bauman), he said, 'You're going to Houston.' I was like, oh my goodness, these people don't even know what they done did. We're getting a ring. And then Mac got hurt, and I still say we're getting a ring."
Much is being made of Artest's attempts to create a rivalry with Bryant, but in our conversation he presented a different view of the relationship.
"We have a respect for each other, playing against each other over the years, that led to us really talking to each other," said Artest. "Kobe loves basketball. He probably thinks he loves basketball more than anybody. I don't think that he loves it as much as me. I mean, I don't know how much he loves it -- I don't work out with him in the summer. We just respect each other, and I love his game. You've got to love somebody who reminds you of Michael Jordan. Let's face it, when Michael Jordan left, something was empty in a lot of peoples' hearts, and now there's Kobe Bryant playing like Michael Jordan. You get a chance to see Michael Jordan every day."