NYT: For Artest, Today's Troubles Took Root Years Ago

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For Artest, Today's Troubles Took Root Years Ago

November 22, 2004
By JASON DIAMOS

It often seems as if Ron Artest cannot help being at the
center of a storm.

A 25-year-old forward for the Indiana Pacers, he was the
central figure in the melee Friday night in Auburn Hills,
Mich., and yesterday the league suspended him for the rest
of the season, the longest ban for an on-court incident in
N.B.A. history.

As Mike Jarvis, who coached Artest for one season at St.
John's, said in a telephone interview yesterday: "He can be
the most gentle, wonderful person in the world. But he has
another side as well."

Artest's dark side has been well do ented. Even as a high
school freshman, at LaSalle Academy in Manhattan, he was
benched for 13 games because of a hot temper. He grew up in
the Queensbridge housing project in Long Island City,
Queens, and emerged in the public eye at St. John's. As a
sop re in the 1998-99 season, he helped lead the Red
Storm to the final eight in the N.C.A.A. tournament.

Since entering the N.B.A. with the Chicago Bulls in 1999,
Artest has been suspended at least 10 times by the league
or by his team, with nine of the suspensions levied since
his trade to the Pacers on Feb. 19, 2002. He has been fined
on numerous other occasions.

The fight between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons
escalated into the stands, and nine fans were injured at
the Palace of Auburn Hills. Nine players from the teams
were suspended, but Artest was the first to charge into the
stands after a fan had hit him with a cup.

"Well, obviously, he's had some problems I'm hoping he has
dealt with," Jarvis, now a television analyst for ESPN,
said from his home in Florida. "You don't throw cameras,
for instance. Obviously, there is a history of him at times
getting out of control. I had hoped he had that part of him
under control."

On Jan. 3 last year, Artest destroyed a Madison Square
Garden camera, worth around $100,000, and slammed a monitor
to the ground after the Pacers lost to the Knicks. He was
fined $35,000 and suspended for three games.

At the time Artest destroyed the camera, he was
participating in court-mandated anger-management therapy
for having threatened a former companion the previous
summer.

Artest was suspended five more times during the 2002-3
season. Last season, Artest was suspended twice.

All the while, he has blossomed into a star. Last season,
he was voted the N.B.A.'s defensive player of the year, and
he helped the Pacers to a league-best 61 victories. This
season, Artest was averaging 24.6 points a game.

But his anger might have cost the Pacers a trip to the
N.B.A. finals last season. With 3 minutes 57 seconds
remaining in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals
against the very same Pistons, and with the score tied at
59-59, Artest committed a flagrant foul against Richard
Hamilton. The Pistons responded with a 4-point possession
and closed out the series, 4-2, with a 69-65 victory in
Indianapolis.

Detroit went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the
finals.

"As far as Ronnie being a lightning rod, I think that's why
he's playing in Indiana," Jarvis said. "They want him to
bring a lot of energy to the game. Unfortunately, it's not
always positive energy."

When the Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony was asked yesterday
if the league was making an example of Artest because of
previous run-ins with the league, he said: "Yes, yes.
Reputation means a lot, especially in these situations.''

Two weeks ago, Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle benched Artest
for two games after Artest asked for time off because of
what he said was a busy schedule promoting a rap album he
had produced during the off-season.

Jarvis said: "If what happened a week or two weeks ago had
not happened, I don't think this would be as big a deal.
But there are reasons why these things keep happening. The
most important thing if you are the Indiana Pacers or Ron
Artest is to say to yourselves, 'How do I get this under
control so it doesn't happen again?' ''

[ducks]

pacers were ssto stupid to think about that though