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Artest has a good heart...it'll be his undoing in the end.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...aining-contentRon Artest and Auburn Hills beer thrower 'kiss and make up'
By J.E. Skeets
I know I and moan a lot about the sometimes-uneventful NBA off-season, but the truth is, there are a lot of things I love about it.
Mainly Ron Artest
When the new Lakers' guard isn't busy crafting Michael Jackson tributes, chilling with his Hong Kong pop artist Shin Shin, taking your calls, or singing Celine Dion ballads into a Magic Mic, he talks. A lot. And, more often than not, it's to his good buddy Dave Carmichael — or is it Carmichael Dave? — on Sports 1140 KHTK in Sacramento.
Artest's latest rant (as transcribed by Tas Melas at Sports Radio Interviews): Talking about tracking down John Green — the Pistons' fan who threw beer on him years ago that started the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl — and becoming friends with him. Seriously.
(Note: If you don't like to read, you can listen to the audio here.)
"A long time ago, a year ago or something like that, I was looking for John Green, the guy who threw beer at me in Detroit. And, I was talking to Dave, and I'm like, 'Yo, we need to find this guy and interview him,' and my team, my personal business management team, they got real nervous, like, 'Don't do it. It's only gonna 'cause controversy ...'
So, after a couple years, I'm like, 'People would love to see me talk with John Green after all these years ...' It won't be crazy, it'll be historical, and it'll be something for people to understand when you fight with one another, you can always become friends, you don't have to hold a grudge for the remainder of your life ...
So, I found him, through my Twitter friends, I had a [tweet] saying, 'I need to find John Green's number. Anybody who can help me find John Green's number, I can take you to lunch.' So, one guy helped me find it ...
So, I called John Green's house and I say, 'Excuse me, ma'am, can I speak to John's please?'
She says, 'Who's this?'
I said, 'Ron.'
'Ron who?'
I said, 'Ron Artest.'
She says, 'No! You can't be serious ...'
Then, I spoke with John, and me and John spoke like we knew each other.
I said, 'Hey, John, what's up?'
He said, 'Hey, Ron, how you doing?'
It was like immediately we kinda vibed ... So people are gonna have a chance to see, we're actually gonna come on Dave's show and do a live interview for the world to hear, the first time Ron and John speak. It was a great conversation, all we were talking about was ways to reach out to inner-city kids and even suburban kids ..."
I remember reading a rumor (possibly on Artest's old Twitter account) about Ron and John settling their differences inside the WWE's squared ring. As hilarious as that would be — "Oh no! That's Stone Cold Ben Wallace's(notes) music!" — I think a sit-down, face-to-face interview sends a much better "message" to the kids.
Artest has a good heart...it'll be his undoing in the end.
IIRC, Ron said that nothing had changed and he was the same guy that went into the stands just before he signed with Houston.
You don't.
I beg to differ.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3512419"If you go back to the brawl, that's a culture issue right there," Artest added, according to the report. "Somebody was disrespecting me, so he's got to understand where I'm coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed"
That would be the best way.. What about the kids, they're probably watching WWE anyways. I think that would be great for Wrestlemania 26.I remember reading a rumor (possibly on Artest's old Twitter account) about Ron and John settling their differences inside the WWE's squared ring.
Not the tone he was taking in his Laker press conference.
http://blogs.venturacountystar.com/l...ss-confer.htmlOn his interest in music -- he's produced albums, had his own label, and released a (little noticed) rap CD:
"Before, when I was younger, when I was in Indiana, I would promote a lot, my music, and I did it the wrong way. It took away from my game. I was spending too much time doing the music and trying to push that instead of focusing on my game. ...
"I love to entertain and I love to have fun, and being in L.A., I think that will be easier to that part of me across to the people and have some fun. ... They love to have fun out here, and I love to do music, so that will be any easy transition for me. And my priorities are straight now. I know I've got to work out and play ball first, and then everything else comes second."
On media scrutiny:
"Feel free to write what you want. It doesn't bother me.
"Especially going through the brawl and that whole incident, you know. For the most part I'm good hearted, and I understand that the media, they have to get their stories across sometimes. And sometimes it's at the expense of Ron Artest. And I understand that now. Being who I am and what I've been through, and certain wrong decisions that I've made, so I understand that anything I do, good or bad, sometimes, it can have a spin to the story.
"And I encourage the media sometimes to write whatever they want, bad or good. Because if they're going to put money in their pocket, then cool, I'm happy. They've got a job to do. I don't mind."
On the source of his intensity:
"I mean, 10 years in the league and no ring. Everybody thinks they're the best. I think I'm the best, and that's how you've got to feel when you're a player. You've got to feel that nobody's better than you.
"And if you don't got a ring, you've got guys like LeBron going to the championship, I've never been there, and now playing with Kobe, Kobe's got four rings, I have none. Even Lamar, that's my friend but we were always compe ive, he has a ring, I have none. I've got to have one. I need one, bad."
On fitting in:
"I don't have a problem with deferring if it's working. I don't have a problem with not scoring a point if we're winning. That's what's important. ... You win, that's all that's important."
(A reporter noted that was exactly what Lamar Odom likes to say.)
"That's what Lamar says? He told me to say that. He said you'll love me if I say that. Really, I want to average 50."
What a difference a year makes. Last year he never changed and this year he's a new person.
Good luck. I'm glad he's not on my team.
You won't be after he locks RJ down, Facto.
hahah locking RJ down, good one. Artest is so overrated on defense its not even funny. He may have used to be a really good defender but If you think Ron Artest will be locking down every teams best player then you will be severely disappointed.
Ron Ron being the usual attention ..
Meh. He's not locking down much of anyone anymore. He is still a good defender, but no what he used to be. Besides...any good he does on defense will likely be offset by bad shots he jacks up or trips to the Staples Center floor in his underwear.
If you have your best defender on RJ, that means Tony and Manu are free. Remember, Ariza guarding Parker was the best thing you had going. Artest can't guard Tony....maybe he can hold RJ to 10-15 points, but he's also our 4th option...So congrats if you hold down our 4th option.
Human nature, like when Rodman played for you guys, or, when Tarkanian coached ya's.
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