Ron Artest switching to No. 15 Lakers jersey
August 20th, 2010, 11:59 am · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM
Ron Artest’s No. 37 jersey is going to be a one-hit wonder.
Artest will be wearing No. 15 next season for the Lakers. Artest wore No. 37 in his first season as a Laker in a tribute to the late Michael Jackson, whose “Thriller” album stayed atop the pop charts for 37 weeks. Artest became a champion wearing No. 37, but he put in the request late last season with the NBA to switch to his college number at St. John’s and the first number he wore in his NBA career: 15.
Artest started out with the Chicago Bulls wearing No. 15, then wound up switching to Michael Jordan’s No. 23 with the Indiana Pacers. Artest has also worn Nos. 91, 93 and 96 in his career. Artest switched from No. 91 in Indiana back to his original No. 15 in 2005 for the season after he was suspended 73 games by the NBA for his infamous night in Auburn Hills — but he was traded from Indiana to Sacramento just 16 games into that season.
Artest’s flighty nature is well known — and figures to be better known if his planned reality TV show “They Call Me Crazy” gets on the air — but going from a loose connection to the King of Pop to the number Artest wore originally qualifies as one of the more sensible choices he has made.
When Kobe Bryant switched to No. 8 to No. 24, it was meant to signify the second stage of his NBA career — but No. 24 was a move back to his roots, not unlike Artest’s. Bryant wore No. 24 originally in high school.
No Laker had ever worn No. 37. The last Laker to wear No. 15 was Tony Bobbitt in 2004-05.
Other new Lakers numbers for the coming season: Devin Ebanks (3), Steve Blake (5), Matt Barnes (9), Theo Ratliff (50) and Derrick Caracter (58). Like Artest, Ebanks wore No. 3 in college. Caracter’s choice of No. 58 — never previously worn in Lakers history — is for personal motivation: He wasn’t taken in the NBA draft until 58th overall.
Which number will the Lakers retire? #37 or #15?
Both, obviously.
This is up there with the decision for this summer.
sorry, slow news day
joke.
Repeating might be harder now.
As one person suggested, he should just wear 51/50...
Anyone knows why he chose #15 to start his career?
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