'Ronald (Ron) William Artest Jr.' (born ) is an
American professional
basketball player who currently plays with the
Sacramento Kings of the
NBA. Artest gained reputation as one of the premier defenders in the game today, winning the
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. However, he is one of the most controversial players and known for being one of the central figures in the
Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons brawl.
Early life
Artest was born and raised in the
Queensbridge projects in
Long Island City,
New York. He played high school basketball at
La Salle Academy and
college basketball at
St. John's University, and was selected by the
Chicago Bulls with the 16th pick of the
1999 NBA Draft. Upon being selected, Artest began to cry, explaining to TNT that his tears were tears of pure joy. In
2002, Artest was traded by the Bulls to the Pacers, along with
Ron Mercer,
Brad Miller, and
Kevin Ollie, in exchange for
Jalen Rose,
Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a second-round draft pick. He is noted as being one of the best defensive players in basketball today, and was voted the
NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for the
2003-04 season.
In spite of his abilities, he has been the subject of much controversy. During his rookie season with the
Chicago Bulls, he was subject to criticism for applying for a job at
Circuit City, just to get an employee discount. He once attended an
Indiana Pacers practice in a bath robe. He was suspended for two games in the early
2004-05 season by Pacers
coach Rick Carlisle after he allegedly asked for a month off because he was tired from promoting an R&B album for the group Allure on his production label. Artest had also been suspended for three games in 2003 for destroying a television camera in
Madison Square Garden, New York City, and for four games for a confrontation with
Miami Heat coach
Pat Riley in 2003. Seemingly embracing his controversial bad-boy status, he changed his uniform number at the start of the
2004-05 season. In past seasons with Indiana, he had worn the number 23 in tribute to NBA legend
Michael Jordan. He has also been suspended several times for excessive flagrant fouls. For the 2004-05 season he wore the number 91; a tribute to former multiple Defensive Player of the Year award winner
Dennis Rodman, another controversial basketball player from the late 1980s and the 1990s. After being suspended for the remainder of the season due to his involvement in the so-called
"malice at the Palace", Artest reverted his number back to the original he wore for the majority of his basketball life, #15 (though he switched to number 93 after being traded to the
Sacramento Kings).
Pacers-Pistons brawl
Main articles: Pacers-Pistons brawl
On
November 19, 2004, Artest took center stage in arguably the most infamous brawl in professional basketball history.
The game took place in
Auburn Hills, Michigan between Artest's Pacers and the home team
Detroit Pistons. The brawl began when Artest
fouled Pistons
center Ben Wallace as Wallace was putting up a shot. Wallace, upset at being fouled hard when the game was effectively over (the Pacers led 97-82), responded by shoving Artest, leading to an
altercation near the scorer's table. Artest walked to the sideline and lay down on the scorer's table, while mocking Wallace. Wallace then threw an armband at Artest while he pretended to give a
radio interview at the scorer's table. Reacting to Wallace throwing something at Artest, Pistons fan
John Green threw a cup of beer at Artest, hitting him. Artest jumped into the front-row seats and confronted a man he believed to be responsible (who turned out to be the wrong man), which in turn erupted into a brawl between Pistons fans and several of the Pacers. Artest returned to the basketball court, and punched Pistons fan
A.J. Shackleford, who was apparently taunting Artest verbally. This fight resulted in the game being stopped with less than a minute remaining. Artest and two teammates were suspended indefinitely the day after the game, along with Wallace.
On
November 21, the NBA announced that Artest would be suspended for the remainder of the season (73 games plus playoff appearances). This is the longest non-
drug or
betting related suspension in NBA history. Eight other players (four Pacers and four Pistons) received suspensions, without pay, that ranged from one to thirty games in length. Each of the Pacers players involved were levied fines and ordered to do community service. Several fans were also charged and were barred from attending any events at the Palace for life. Artest lost approximately $5 million in salary due to the suspension.
Aftermath and trade
Early in the
2005-06 season, Artest requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers and was put on the team's inactive roster. Artest's call for a trade created a rift between him and his teammates. "We felt betrayed, a little disrespected," teammate Jermaine O'Neal said. As for their basketball relationship, O'Neal said: "The business relationship is over. That's fact." Pacers president
Larry Bird said he also felt “betrayed” and “disappointed”.
On
January 24, 2006, reports from NBA sources confirmed that the
Sacramento Kings had agreed to trade
Peja Stojakovic to the Pacers for Artest. However, before the trade could be completed, many press outlets reported that Artest had informed team management that he did not want to go to Sacramento. According to Ron Artest's agent, his original trade request was only made because he was upset when he heard rumors that the Pacers were going to trade him to Sacramento for Stojakovic early in the season. While not denying his agent's story, Artest did deny that he had rejected the trade to the City of Trees, saying that he would play anywhere; hence, contradicting earlier press accounts stating Artest was holding up the trade. Given conflicting accounts, it is unclear why the trade was delayed, but it was nevertheless completed on
January 25 and Artest was officially sent to the Kings for Stojakovic.
Artest gained more attention when he, fully clothed, graced the cover of
''Penthouse'' magazine,
[1] along with three bikini-clad models.
Sacramento Kings
Though traded midseason to the Kings franchise, Artest quickly found his place on the team by providing some much needed defense. Though many feared his abrasive personality would be a problem, he worked well with his teammates and then coach
Rick Adelman. Since acquiring Artest in late January 2006, the team immediately went on a 14-5 run, the team's best run of the season. The Kings broke .500 and landed the eighth spot in the Western Conference. This prompted
ESPN to declare that "Ron Artest has breathed new life in the Sacramento Kings and enhanced their chances of reaching the playoffs."
Fox Sports proclaimed, "Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt".
He was suspended for Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the
San Antonio Spurs following a flagrant foul (elbow to the head) on
Manu Ginobili. The Kings eventually were eliminated from the playoffs in six games.
After the playoffs, Artest offered to donate his entire salary to keep teammate
Bonzi Wells with the team, who became a free agent after the
2005-06 NBA season. He even jokingly threatened to kill Wells if he did not re-sign with the Kings. Wells was later picked up by the
Houston Rockets. Artest also offered to donate his salary to retain the services of head coach
Rick Adelman, whose contract expired after the same season. Adelman and the Kings did not agree on a contract extension so the two parted ways.
In mid-August 2006, Artest completed some of his community service requirements by lecturing a group of Detroit-area children. However, criticism was made when Ron Artest continued to defend his actions and brought up his troubled past, mentioning that he had been selling
cocaine after his parents divorced at the age of 13.
In the 2006-07 season, Artest had been indicating that he would have liked to get traded from Sacramento, noting
Mike Bibby's recent struggles, and not seeing eye to eye to new coach Eric Musselman. The leading team in the Artest sweepstakes was believed to be the Los Angeles Clippers, with recent rumors indicating that the Kings might trade Ron Artest, for swingman
Corey Maggette. However, Los Angeles Clippers GM Elgin Baylor has since been quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying, "As far as anything goes with Ron Artest, that's a dead issue," Baylor said. "We're no longer talking to Sacramento about Artest ... that's not going to happen."
Ron Artest's
mug shot, taken by the Placer County Sheriff's Dept. in 2007.
According to a
Placer County report obtained by the Sacramento Bee, on January 30, 2007, Animal Services officers issued a "pre-seizure" notice to Artest regarding suspicions that a dog at his home in
Loomis was not receiving adequate food. On February 5, officers returned and seized Socks, a black female Great Dane, removing her into protective custody with a local veterinarian. The seizure action cited a law that requires animal caretakers to "provide proper sustenance." Artest later sent an email to the Bee, writing "I'm glad to say all problems are solved now, and I'm looking forward to getting my dog back." The animal remains in custody as of February 7.
[2] In a phone conversation with a reporter from local TV news channel CBS13, Artest said he had gotten rid of all his dogs because he wasn't able to take care of them.
[3]
On
March 5,
2007,
[4]
Ron Artest was arrested for domestic abuse, and was excused from the Sacramento Kings by
GM Geoff Petrie until he's ready to come back. On March 10th, The Kings announced that Artest would return to his team while his case is being reviewed by the Placer County District Attorney. On
May 3, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail and community service, however, Artest is unlikely to spend any more time in jail. Ten days of the sentence were stayed by the judge and Artest can apply to serve the other 10 days in a work release or similar program. However, on
July 14,
2007,the NBA decided that Artest will serve a seven game suspension at the beginning of the
2007-08 NBA season for his recent legal problems.
[5]
Endorsements
Ron Artest is the only NBA player endorsed by the German brand
k1x.
[6]
Quotes
★ In regards to medication for his behavior Artest said, "I've never taken medication (to control moods) in my life. Doctors have suggested it and I say, 'OK, give it to me.' But then I go home and I throw it in the garbage."
★ On the All-Star game; "They better not put me in the All-Star Game. I won't shoot, but I'll dominate that easy game. I'll be playing hard defense. I'll be foulin'. I'll be flagrant fouling. Everyone will be like, 'What are you doing?'"
★ In regards to
Bonzi Wells' free agent status and re-signing with the Sacramento Kings, Ron said, "[Bonzi] called me last week. I told him if he leaves, then I'm going to kill him. Unless he wants to die, he's got to stay (with the Kings)."
[7]
Albums
thumb
Artest released a rap album entitled ''
My World'' on October 31, 2006. The album was a commercial failure, selling only 343 copies in its opening week.
[8] In comparison it sold 6,000 fewer copies than
Kevin Federline's album ''
Playing With Fire'', which was also a noted failure and debuted the same week.
[9]
Trivia
★ Ron Artest's father is a
bouncer at Pastis, a restaurant/bar in
Manhattan.
[10]
★ Artest has 2 younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel.
[11]
★ Artest is the fourth of nine children.
★ Teamed with
Elton Brand and
Lamar Odom on the same AAU team as a teenager.
[12]
★ Artest wears the number 93 with Sacramento because he says it represents the Queensbridge projects where he grew up, with the "9" representing the "Q" in Queens and the "3" representing the "B" in Bridge.
[http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/1on1_sacramento_19feb2007.html]
★ Also, the inspiration for Artest choosing 93 as his number was inspired by
Souls of Mischief's 1993 album
93 'til Infinity.
[13]
★ Artest appeared in rapper T-Bone's video for the song "Can I Live" and in
Nas' video for "Nas is Like".
★ Has recorded with the likes of
Ghostface Killah,
Juvenile,
Mike Jones,
Hood Surgeon,
Nature,
Solomon Childs,
Capone, and others.
References
1. Artest Timeline: Ron-Ron's troubled past
2. http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/119789.html
3. http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_038092917.html
4. Artest was arrested at home on domestic violence charges, March 5, 2007
5. Jackson, Artest suspended following court pleas
6. http://www.urbanmecca.com/artman/publish/article_521.shtml
7. http://dwb.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14276300p-15085707c.html
8. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/061114
9. http://magnoliasitter.blogspot.com/
10. http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14251458p-15067846c.html
11. http://idsnews.com/news/story.php?id=27666
12. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/ron_artest/bio.html
13. http://emynd.blogspot.com/2006/01/i-been-had-strength-now-i-just-got.html
# ''
Artest, Jackson charge Palace stands'' - November 21, 2004
# ''
'Betrayed' Bird says Artest must go'' - December 27, 2005
# ''
Initial agreement for trade falls apart'' - January 24, 2006
# ''
Report: Artest Trade To Sacramento Resurrected'' - January 25, 2006
#''
Q & A: Artest hits the road and the hardwood'' - July 9, 2006 ('login required')
# ''
NBA Preview - Lakers At Kings'' - March 14, 2006
# ''
Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt'' - March 14, 2006
#''
Scary Good'' - January 20, 2003
#''
Hornets.com's 1-on-1: Sacramento's Ron Artest, Scott Howard-Cooper'' - February 16, 2007
External links
★
Ron Artest official page
★
Arrest Information
★
Ron Artest @ NBA.com
★
Career Statistics
★
Ron Artest: The Next MC Outta Queensbridge?
★
Ron Artest's MySpace
★
Interview at Andpop
★
Ron Artest applies the "Bush Doctrine" to basketball court
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