Ron Artest Has Matured
Hide the Women and Children!
It could have something to do with the fact that Ron Artest is one of my favorite players in the League, or perhaps it’s my looking forward to the season finally jumping off, or maybe I’m just a sucker for pre-season fluff pieces (or all three), but there’s an article in Sunday’s Sacramento Bee that has me feeling pretty good about the 2008 Kings.
The Kings, a delightfully goofy collection of characters - they’ve got a celebrity head coach who thinks he’s still on Saturday morning TV; their best scorer not only has a strange haircut, but possesses the nastiest looking jumper you’ll ever see; and their fans actually bring cowbells to the arena - can count on a mature-sounding Ron Artest in 2008.
After spending the summer doing all kinds of charitable work, the man is in terrific shape, he’s obeying the coach, and he seems to have put the most notorious incident of his career behind him.
On the Pacers and The Brawl:
“I let [Larry] Bird down,” Artest said. “They treated me like family, you know. It was just me being egotistical and immature. But all I can do is go on. Right now I want to see the Kings getting it back, making the playoffs. I just remember it wasn’t that long ago that we were a good team.”
On the Kings:
“I have short-changed myself,” he said. “It’s time I really focus on basketball. We had talent last year and wasted it. We played like garbage, absolute garbage.
“Reggie [Theus] right. He’s asking me to not pound (dribble) the ball so much. He’s demanding that I really move the ball, and that’s going to make me a better player. He has a good feel for the game. He just tells you to do something and it works, and he holds you accountable, you know?”
Of course it’s all just talk right now; Ron-Ron will have plenty of opportunities to ram the Kings’ ship into a massive iceberg over the next seven months.
But hey, if you’re a Kings fan and your emotional leader is saying all of the right things, you have to be approaching this season with a tinge of optimism, right?
27 Responses to “Ron Artest Has Matured”
Oct.15 at 12:49 pm
FLUD says:
He’s not ron. He’s RON RON.
Oct.15 at 12:51 pm
Sam Mitchell's Conscience says:
I predict a five game suspension before new years.
Oct.15 at 1:02 pm
Kingsnation says:
Sam Mitchells conscience…..HELLO?! He STARTS the season with a 7 game suspension for domestic violence charges…. I am a die hard Kings fan. Sacramento native and never miss a game…unfortunately, we are about to embark on a .500 season AT BEST..most likely only a 3 to 4 win improvement from last year.. oh well… just need to ride the wave and wait for the boring san antonio spurs to quit winning championships… Tim Duncan and Mano Ginobli need to break down eventualy.
Oct.15 at 1:52 pm
Sam Mitchell's Conscience says:
i completely forgot about that. in addition to the seven games, i predict a five game suspension
Oct.15 at 1:58 pm
Gerard Himself says:
All I know is that Kings fans should be glad Kevin Martin is there, and he will remain there for the next couple of years. One of the few bright spots of that team.
Oct.15 at 2:23 pm
H to the izzo says:
I’m glad you used the “I will f*ck you up” pic,Mutoni.
Oct.15 at 2:33 pm
coach says:
serial killers charles manson , btk killer and jeffrey dahmer are /were all matured .
Oct.15 at 3:10 pm
Noah D says:
lol ive heard the “ron artest is mature and stable now, no really!” speech before.
Oct.15 at 4:51 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
tinsley is about to get the dustpan
Oct.15 at 5:18 pm
Eoin says:
I thought this said “Ron Artest Has Murdered”, and I then thought “Hey, a Kevin Garnett story!”That’s how surprised I would’ve been
Oct.15 at 9:04 pm
Swizz Beatz says:
Ron is my boy!
Oct.15 at 10:30 pm
Zac says:
Ron starts what seven games into the season? well i look forward to the return of defense . . . . until then how do you spell scoring spree vs Sacto (and i aint talkin bout letrell)
Oct.15 at 10:48 pm
Bryant Reeves says:
Eoin: I had the same exact thought. Ron-Ron, murderer? I wonder if he’ll be in the same prison as Vick…
Oct.15 at 11:02 pm
Ben Osborne says:
He definitely dribbles too much, but I doubt reggie theus can change that.
Oct.16 at 2:10 am
Robbi says:
Ron Artest will never mature. We all have to live with that.
Oct.16 at 2:19 am
Robbi says:
You guys interested in creating a SLAM fantasy league?
Oct.16 at 10:20 am
underdog says:
All the Kings need is Sprewell
Oct.16 at 10:40 am
RedRum says:
for the 100th time: only P-Jax can handle Ron. he needs to be traded to the lakers.
Oct.16 at 10:56 am
alex-magicfreak1 says:
yo ron needs 2 chill out cuz how does he expect 2 b in new york. he is from der so expect him to act up jus like he did in indiana.!!!!!
Oct.16 at 1:31 pm
riggs says:
if you think ron is crazy you should hang out with his younger brother, My brother told me that dude was even worse (my brother ron and his brother used to be on the same team during summer leagues)
Oct.16 at 5:49 pm
john says:
ya right he is going to fight again
Oct.17 at 12:18 pm
Rubens says:
how can you not like ron-ron?
Oct.18 at 1:12 pm
jawn says:
except for the situation in the off season, ron ron has not been a problem at all for the kings. everybody said he wouldn’t be in a kings uniform for long, hell the guy said he wanted to retire a king. so believe in ron ron during the season i guess we cant in the offseason…
Oct.19 at 11:44 am
Sesa says:
I heart the picture.
Oct.19 at 3:41 pm
fudi mardo tari says:
ron artest is garbage
Oct.20 at 6:01 pm
Todd D. says:
Send all american inmates doing life, or on death row, to Iraq with Isiah Thomas and Ron Artest as squad leaders and bring our troops home. Thats what I say. Yep give all the homocidal maniacs guns and let em loose in the middle east baby, go america.
Oct.20 at 7:06 pm
Glen says:
When Ron Artest gets kicked out of the NBA (which he will), he should go play rugby. He would be a beast.