Artest is available

**GSH** · 06-18-2009

It's true, no matter what some people might say. The Spurs could sign Artest without having to give up any of their core players, and without any salary cap problems.

I'll make a wager for all your SpursTalk cash that it's true, too. Any takers?

**GSH** · 06-18-2009

Okay... so it's a bar bet. But you can use it, too. Amaze your friends, annoy your enemies! Win free drinks! (Just DON'T post it in the Think Tank.)

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcspo...nd_artest.html
The NBA's Second Artest
As previously mentioned, the first thing I saw when I entered the gym for the Wizards' first Summer League game was Daniel Artest, the younger brother of Ron, soaring through the air for a dunk during layup lines, to the extent that a 300-pound man can soar through the air. The program lists him at 280. Daniel told me he's more like 290. Ron told me it's probably more like 300. The Hilton Sports Book has the over-under at 297.

Also as previously mentioned, Ron Artest watched the Kings-Wiz game from the front row, at times holding a bright green stuffed animal, which presumably belonged to the children with whom he sat. I asked him whether I might take his photo. He declined but said maybe later. I decided to wait. When Ron Artest asks you not to take his photo, I believe prudence dictates that you not take his photo.

But I did talk to both Ron and Daniel about Daniel's budding basketball career. Daniel caused a bit of a flap earlier in the week with some talk of Ron's potential move to the Knicks (read Posting and Toasting and Sactown Royalty for more), and so he kindly asked me not to discuss that topic, which doesn't interest me much anyhow.

So, where to begin? Daniel has both a sense of humor and a sense of grandeur about the whole thing, so I'll let you decide exactly how serious this all is, but my impression is it's plenty serious. Like, I asked Daniel to compare himself to a current NBA guy.

"Nobody, really, because I don't think nobody could do what I do," he told me. "A lot of people try to compare me to like a Chuck Hayes or whatever, but he can't do what I can do. I can shoot that ball. I can shoot that rock. I can ball. I can get it."

As for the why, "I'm trying to just experience playing the professional game and the NBA life," he said. "It's fun, by the way." (Continued in link above.)