duncan228
12-16-2010, 07:58 PM
Just Artest's quotes, hit the link for the story.
Artest still regrets letting down Pacers (http://www.indystar.com/article/20101216/SPORTS04/12160376/1062/SPORTS04/Kravitz-Artest-still-regrets-letting-down-Pacers)
Bob Kravitz
Indianapolis Star
..."A coward, I was a coward,'' Artest said before Wednesday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pacers. "When you do coward stuff, you feel like a coward. I don't care if it was done intentionally or by mistake, you're still a coward. I don't care how young I was. That's not an excuse.''
..."When I was younger, I bailed out on my Indiana team,'' he said during that interview session. "I was so young, so egotistical, and I bailed out on (team executives) Donnie (Walsh) (and) Larry (Bird) (and former teammates) Jermaine (O'Neal), (Jamaal) Tinsley, (Jeff) Foster, who never bails out. He just fights for you, for his team. Stephen Jackson, who already had a ring, continued to fight for us.''
..."I'd been thinking about that for a long time, even when I was in Houston (2008-09),'' Artest said Wednesday. "I always think about those teams. We were in a foxhole together. (Then-coach) Isiah Thomas kind of got me brainwashed, in a good way, and got me connected to the team.
"But I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready mentally. It was really a family, so it felt like I had let down my family.''
..."There's no question those (mental-health issues) played a role,'' Artest said. "I just wasn't mentally strong enough to deal with adversity, deal with things not going my way, not strong enough to not throw an elbow (on Richard Hamilton) when (Game 6 of the 2003-04 Eastern Conference finals) was tied,'' he said quietly. ". . . That's why it's so hard for me to forgive myself for that time in my life. It sticks with me. It sticks with me.''
..."They could have given me medicine, I guess, but it would have been a Band-Aid,'' he said. "Therapy was helping, but I needed to work through a lot of problems. I was scarred as a kid, and those scars never healed. I still get therapy, although it's more maintenance than anything else. But it takes a long time.''
..."It had nothing to do with me and Jermaine,'' he said. "I was just going through so many things personally. That's what that was about. My brother was still in jail, serving a 10-year sentence. My mom and dad separated. I was a young parent. And (one year earlier) I lost my last grandparent. So many things going on. I was in self-destruct mode.
"I wasn't strong enough.''
..."It's cost me $75,000 to fix my problems,'' he said with a laugh. "How many people have 75 grand? I want more therapists and counselors in the schools. I want people, especially our kids, to get the help they need, and to be properly diagnosed by professionals.''
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101216/SPORTS04/12160376/1062/SPORTS04/Kravitz-Artest-still-regrets-letting-down-Pacers
Artest still regrets letting down Pacers (http://www.indystar.com/article/20101216/SPORTS04/12160376/1062/SPORTS04/Kravitz-Artest-still-regrets-letting-down-Pacers)
Bob Kravitz
Indianapolis Star
..."A coward, I was a coward,'' Artest said before Wednesday night's game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pacers. "When you do coward stuff, you feel like a coward. I don't care if it was done intentionally or by mistake, you're still a coward. I don't care how young I was. That's not an excuse.''
..."When I was younger, I bailed out on my Indiana team,'' he said during that interview session. "I was so young, so egotistical, and I bailed out on (team executives) Donnie (Walsh) (and) Larry (Bird) (and former teammates) Jermaine (O'Neal), (Jamaal) Tinsley, (Jeff) Foster, who never bails out. He just fights for you, for his team. Stephen Jackson, who already had a ring, continued to fight for us.''
..."I'd been thinking about that for a long time, even when I was in Houston (2008-09),'' Artest said Wednesday. "I always think about those teams. We were in a foxhole together. (Then-coach) Isiah Thomas kind of got me brainwashed, in a good way, and got me connected to the team.
"But I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready mentally. It was really a family, so it felt like I had let down my family.''
..."There's no question those (mental-health issues) played a role,'' Artest said. "I just wasn't mentally strong enough to deal with adversity, deal with things not going my way, not strong enough to not throw an elbow (on Richard Hamilton) when (Game 6 of the 2003-04 Eastern Conference finals) was tied,'' he said quietly. ". . . That's why it's so hard for me to forgive myself for that time in my life. It sticks with me. It sticks with me.''
..."They could have given me medicine, I guess, but it would have been a Band-Aid,'' he said. "Therapy was helping, but I needed to work through a lot of problems. I was scarred as a kid, and those scars never healed. I still get therapy, although it's more maintenance than anything else. But it takes a long time.''
..."It had nothing to do with me and Jermaine,'' he said. "I was just going through so many things personally. That's what that was about. My brother was still in jail, serving a 10-year sentence. My mom and dad separated. I was a young parent. And (one year earlier) I lost my last grandparent. So many things going on. I was in self-destruct mode.
"I wasn't strong enough.''
..."It's cost me $75,000 to fix my problems,'' he said with a laugh. "How many people have 75 grand? I want more therapists and counselors in the schools. I want people, especially our kids, to get the help they need, and to be properly diagnosed by professionals.''
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101216/SPORTS04/12160376/1062/SPORTS04/Kravitz-Artest-still-regrets-letting-down-Pacers