Ron Artest
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| Position | Small forward/Shooting guard |
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| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 248 lb (112 kg) |
| League | NBA |
| Team | Sacramento Kings |
| Jersey | #93 |
| Born | November 13, 1979 Queensbridge, Queens, New York |
| Nationality | USA |
| College | St. John's University |
| Draft | 16th overall, 1999 Chicago Bulls |
| Pro career | 1999–present |
| Former teams | Chicago Bulls (1999–2002) Indiana Pacers (2002–2005) |
| Awards | 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2004 NBA All-Star |
| Official profile | Player Info |
Ronald (Ron) William Artest Jr. (born November 13, 1979) 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.
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[edit] Biography
Artest was born and raised in the Queensbridge projects in Queens, New York. He played high school basketball at La Salle Academy and college basketball at St. John's University from 1997-1999.[1] In 1999 he helped the Redstorm to the Elite 8 losing to Ohio State in a classic.
[edit] Chicago Bulls
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Artest was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft.
[edit] Indiana Pacers
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. Artest had his best season in the 2003-2004 season. He averaged 18.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. He made the 2004 All-Star Game as a reserve and he was the Defensive Player of the Year.
[edit] 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. 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.[2] This fight resulted in the game being stopped with less than a minute remaining. Artest and teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson 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.
[edit] 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.”[3]
On January 24, 2006, reports from NBA sources confirmed that the Sacramento Kings had agreed to trade Peja Stojaković 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 Stojaković early in the season. While not denying his agent's story, Artest did deny that he had rejected the trade to Sacramento, 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 Stojaković.
[edit] Sacramento Kings
Though traded midseason to the Kings franchise, Artest quickly found his place on the team by providing some much needed defense.[4] 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.”[5] Fox Sports proclaimed, “Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt.”[4]
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 Ginóbili. 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.[6] 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.
[edit] Controversy
In spite of his abilities, Artest 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.[7] He once attended an Indiana Pacers practice in a bath robe.[8] 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.[7] 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.[7] He has also been suspended several times for flagrant fouls.[7]
At the start of the 2004-05 season, Artest changed his uniform number. In past seasons with Indiana, he had worn the number 23 in tribute to NBA legend Michael Jordan. 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 Pacers-Pistons brawl, Artest reverted his number back to the original he wore for the majority of his basketball life, number 15, though he switched to number 93 after being traded to the Sacramento Kings. He 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.[9] Also, the inspiration for Artest choosing 93 as his number was inspired by Souls of Mischief's 1993 album 93 'til Infinity.[10]
In October 2005, Artest gained more attention when he, fully clothed, graced the cover of Penthouse magazine,[11] along with three bikini-clad models.
[edit] Legal troubles in Sacramento
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.”[12] 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.[13][not in citation given] In March 2007, his dog was released under a foster care agreement after being treated for more than a month.[14] In April 2007, the Placer County District Attorney's Office announced that it would not file charges against Artest over the incident.[15] It also was reported by Placer County Animal Services and by Artest that he agreed to allow Socks to be adopted by a new owner.[15]
On March 5, 2007,[16] 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 did not spend any more time in jail as ten days of the sentence were stayed by the judge and Artest served the other 10 days in a work release program. However, on July 14, 2007, the NBA decided that Artest would serve a seven game suspension at the beginning of the 2007-08 NBA season for his recent legal problems.[17]
[edit] Endorsements
Ron Artest is the only NBA player endorsed by the German brand k1x.[18]
In 2008, Ron Artest appeared in a video promoting companion animal spaying and neutering for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals entitled “Have the balls to spay and neuter your dog.”[19]
[edit] Quotes
- 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?’”[20]
- 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).”[6]
[edit] Discography
| Album Information |
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My World
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[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Ron Artest's father is a bouncer at Pastis, a restaurant/bar in Manhattan.[21]
- Artest has 2 younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel.[22]
- Teamed with Elton Brand of the Los Angeles Clippers, Brendan Haywood of the Washington Wizards and Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers on the same AAU team as a teenager.[23]
- 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.
[edit] References
- ^ Ron Artest Pro and College Stats
- ^ "Artest, Jackson charge Palace stands", ESPN.com, November 21, 2004. "Later, a man in a Pistons jersey approached Artest on the court, shouting at him. Artest punched him in the face, knocking the man to the floor before leaving the court. Artest was pulled away, and the fan charged back. Teammate Jermaine O'Neal stepped in and punched another man who joined the scrum."
- ^ 'Betrayed' Bird says Artest must go - December 27, 2005
- ^ a b Kahn, Mike. "Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt", Fox Sports, March 14, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-05-24.
- ^ NBA Preview - Lakers At Kings - March 14, 2006
- ^ a b Amick, Sam. "Q & A: Artest hits the road and the hardwood", The Sacramento Bee, July 9, 2006, p. C1.
- ^ a b c d Wilbon, Michael. "In Artest, Sacramento Gets A King-Size Nuisance", The Washington Post, January 26, 2006, p. E01.
- ^ "Artest aiming to be ready for playoffs", ESPN.com, February 23, 2004.
- ^ HORNETS: Hornets.com’s 1-on-1: Sacramento’s Ron Artest, Scott Howard-Cooper
- ^ Montieth, Mark. "Artest's fresh start begins", The Indianapolis Star, January 28, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-02-12.
- ^ Artest Timeline: Ron-Ron's troubled past
- ^ Kim Minugh and Art Campos. "Placer seizes Artest dog", The Sacramento Bee, February 7, 2007, p. B1. Archived from the original on 2007-02-09.
- ^ "Kings' Player Ron Artest Loses Dog Named Socks", CBS13, February 7, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-03-09.
- ^ "Artest's Dog Released Under Foster Care Agreement", KCRA, March 9, 2007.
- ^ a b Campos, Art. "Artest will not be charged for not feeding his dog", The Sacramento Bee, AccessMyLibrary, April 27, 2007.
- ^ Artest was arrested at home on domestic violence charges, March 5, 2007
- ^ Associated Press. "Jackson, Artest suspended following court pleas", ESPN.com, 2007-07-15. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
- ^ NBA Star Ron Artest Signs Multi-Million Dollar Partnership With k1x - Nation of Hoop
- ^ NBA Star Ron Artest's Spay and Neuter PETA Ad
- ^ Scary Good - January 20, 2003
- ^ Sports - Artest Sr. knew son would bounce back - sacbee.com
- ^ Aasen, Adam. "The man behind the melee", Indiana Daily Student, February 10, 2005.
- ^ NBA.com : Ron Artest Bio Page
[edit] External links
- Ron Artest official page
- Ron Artest @ NBA.com
- Career Statistics
- Ron Artest: The Next MC Outta Queensbridge?
- Ron Artest's MySpace
- Interview at Andpop
- Interview With Michael Tillery of The Starting Five
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