DirkAB
07-09-2006, 06:45 PM
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/v-print/story/14276348p-15085749c.html
King: San Antonio was inhospitable
Ron Artest says problems at two hotels and the visitors' locker room upset the Kings.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, July 9, 2006
LAS VEGAS -- When the Kings lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of last season's playoffs, their end resulted from numerous factors.
Running out of gas, according to Ron Artest, was not one of them.
Nearly three months after the Spurs won the series in six games, the Kings' small forward said San Antonio's home-court advantage went beyond the court. He said the AT&T Center's visitors' locker room reeked with gas before the Spurs' Game 5 victory, and that the hotel experience at two facilities didn't do much for relaxation and preparation throughout the series.
Wake-up calls in hotel rooms, Artest said, routinely came hours early for numerous players. And room service, he also said, would take several hours to arrive.
The Kings switched hotels after losing Game 1, moving from a Hyatt Regency on the city's outskirts to a downtown Marriott. San Antonio's annual "Fiesta" event was taking place at the time, and Kings officials said they had stayed at the Hyatt because there was no availability near the city's Riverwalk. But Artest said the hotel move didn't improve matters.
"It was both hotels, really, but the second hotel was horrible," said Artest, who was suspended for Game 2 of the series. "The second hotel, they were waking us up too early. They were bringing our lunch late. When you play an NBA game, you've got to have your lunch at a certain time. You eat at a certain time.
"One morning, I didn't even get my breakfast. I had to eat my breakfast on the bus. And then when I got to the game, they had the gas (in the locker room). The gas was killing our locker room. It wasn't even a safe environment. It was horrible, horrible. … I just know that if the Spurs are going to make us smell gas, we should've made the Spurs smell gas. We should've put gas in their locker room."
Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin said he never requested a wake-up call, but he did remember smelling the gas.
"I just had the gas thing," he said. "It was horrible. I think I remember just smelling it once."
Spurs officials declined comment. Kings spokesman Darrin May said he was aware of the gas in the locker room before Game 5 but had no knowledge of the hotel difficulties.
King: San Antonio was inhospitable
Ron Artest says problems at two hotels and the visitors' locker room upset the Kings.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Sunday, July 9, 2006
LAS VEGAS -- When the Kings lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of last season's playoffs, their end resulted from numerous factors.
Running out of gas, according to Ron Artest, was not one of them.
Nearly three months after the Spurs won the series in six games, the Kings' small forward said San Antonio's home-court advantage went beyond the court. He said the AT&T Center's visitors' locker room reeked with gas before the Spurs' Game 5 victory, and that the hotel experience at two facilities didn't do much for relaxation and preparation throughout the series.
Wake-up calls in hotel rooms, Artest said, routinely came hours early for numerous players. And room service, he also said, would take several hours to arrive.
The Kings switched hotels after losing Game 1, moving from a Hyatt Regency on the city's outskirts to a downtown Marriott. San Antonio's annual "Fiesta" event was taking place at the time, and Kings officials said they had stayed at the Hyatt because there was no availability near the city's Riverwalk. But Artest said the hotel move didn't improve matters.
"It was both hotels, really, but the second hotel was horrible," said Artest, who was suspended for Game 2 of the series. "The second hotel, they were waking us up too early. They were bringing our lunch late. When you play an NBA game, you've got to have your lunch at a certain time. You eat at a certain time.
"One morning, I didn't even get my breakfast. I had to eat my breakfast on the bus. And then when I got to the game, they had the gas (in the locker room). The gas was killing our locker room. It wasn't even a safe environment. It was horrible, horrible. … I just know that if the Spurs are going to make us smell gas, we should've made the Spurs smell gas. We should've put gas in their locker room."
Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin said he never requested a wake-up call, but he did remember smelling the gas.
"I just had the gas thing," he said. "It was horrible. I think I remember just smelling it once."
Spurs officials declined comment. Kings spokesman Darrin May said he was aware of the gas in the locker room before Game 5 but had no knowledge of the hotel difficulties.