LOS ANGELES -- As he skulked out of Staples Center on Sunday afternoon, Metta World Peace paused for a moment by the Lakers bench, the look on his face conveying bewilderment more than shame. Kobe Bryant wrapped him in a long hug, strange considering World Peace had just thrown a vicious elbow to James Harden's head that prompted an ejection, but oddly appropriate considering their history together.
As the world knows, peace can sometimes be fleeting.
It was maybe eight months after the Malice at the Palace -- the infamous brawl between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons in November 2004 -- and Ron Artest was driving a visitor around Indianapolis. Stopped at a red light, he began belting out lyrics to a playful rap he had written about the fight. As with so much that Artest does, this was odd. On account of his role in the fight, he had been suspended for 73 games, harmed his team immeasurably and brought shame on the entire NBA. Asked why he would sing about the episode and not show more remorse, Artest had a simple answer: "I'm a true warrior."
Find out who was sent home from the ballroom
Past winners from ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" give Nancy Grace tips on surviving on the dance floor.
Because of daughter Diamond, his appearance will raise money for medical research
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Nov. 29. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer.
Ron Artest tells CNN's Larry King he's raffling off his championship ring to help raise money to fight mental illness.
LOS ANGELES -- When all the players had been introduced and all the diamonds had been distributed Tuesday night, Ron Artest left the receiving line, walked toward commissioner David Stern and asked for the microphone back. A nervous murmur spread through Staples Center, as if the ring ceremony were a wedding reception, and Artest was the nutty uncle who wanted to make one more toast. Stern handed over the mic, though he could not have been sure what would come next: another shout-out to the psychiatrist, a plug for the reality show, a riff on life in Queensbridge? Artest faced the corner of the arena where the championship banners hang, counted to three, and said: "2010-2011."
LOS ANGELES -- The love you take is equal to the love you make, and that is not a saying ever related to Kobe Bryant. He has struggled through the latter half of his life to make his own way, as a wingman refusing to attend college, as a scorer stubbornly dueling with Shaquille O'Neal for control of the ball, as a star who didn't know how to be liked. Never did he imagine his savior would be Ron Artest.
LOS ANGELES -- The tweet was posted early Friday morning, just hours after the Lakers lost 96-89 to the Celtics in Game 4.
BOSTON -- By his standards, Paul Pierce had a ragged season. He injured his right knee, his left foot and his right thumb. He played hurt, played poorly and, for stretches, did not play much at all. He was shut down in the Eastern Conference semifinals, smothered by LeBron James, and he re-emerged in the conference finals, freed by Vince Carter. When the NBA Finals began, he was as much a wild card as the guy who was tabbed to defend him, Ron Artest. But two days before Game 1, in a practice at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, Celtics coach Doc Rivers issued a warning to anybody who was sleeping on his best scorer: "We don't think that's very smart," he said.
BOSTON -- One more. Those were the words Paul Pierce repeated over and over, as he paced the Boston sideline in the final seconds of the Celtics' Game 5 victory. Indeed, Boston finds itself one win away from an improbable NBA championship after outlasting the Lakers 92-86 on Sunday.
Related stories for July 14, 2010 issue
LOS ANGELES -- In the dark tunnels of Staples Center Sunday night, after the Celtics somehow beat the Lakers 103-94, former Rockets sharpshooter Brent Barry stood against a wall, talking to a reporter. Suddenly, he stopped mid-sentence and turned his attention to a thin, bald man in a crisp, gray suit with a crooked smile on his face. The two men exchanged words, then Barry returned to the reporter. "Sorry man," he said. "I had to talk to Jesus."
LOS ANGELES -- Granted, the tens of thousands who showed up at Staples Center last night, and the millions more around the globe who tuned in to the game, did not do so to see the world's best refs doing their thing. Still reffing is what they got -- whistle upon glorious whistle, early and late and debatable and downright specious. And predictably, much of the discussion after the Lakers' 102-89 win centered on all the foul calls, and rightly so, but there is only so much that can be said. As Glen Davis opined afterward, giant headphones propped above his ears like some gargantuan Princess Leia, "The refs are the refs. They human too. They make mistakes."
Ron Artest used to buy tickets to attend the NBA Finals. Now that he's finally playing at this time of the year, he is still spending nonetheless at the box office.
LOS ANGELES -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson looked at the five players he sent onto the court with 3.5 seconds remaining in the most important game of the season and wondered why in the world Ron Artest was among them. Artest was 1-of-8 from the field. He was shooting 28 percent from three-point range in the playoffs. He was being out-played by a backup, Sasha Vujacic. And less than a minute earlier, he had made what Jackson believed was an unconscionable error that nearly jeopardized the Lakers' title defense.
Clearly, the Los Angeles Lakers aren't read to pass the torch to another Western Conference power. But when they are, the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to take it. In an entertaining matchup between two elite teams -- and two supremely talented players -- the Lakers survived, taking a 2-0 lead in their first round series.
The fact that Lakers coaches and teammates are obliquely criticizing Ron Artest just three weeks before Los Angeles begins to defend its title in the playoffs actually says a lot about how reliable the 6-foot-7 forward has been this season.
SI.com's NBA writers analyze the latest news and address hot topics from around the league each week.
With most teams at or near the 50-game mark and the All-Star Game just a week away, it's a good time to evaluate how the league's most significant player acquisitions from last offseason are panning out. Teams have had enough time to get adjusted to the new personnel, and the flurry of player movement likely to occur closer to the Feb. 18 trade deadline has yet to shuffle the rosters.
Injuries among so many stars and inconsistent performances by so many contending teams make it difficult to fill out a midseason awards ballot. But here it is anyway: The best of what we've seen so far, with the hope that something better -- and healthier -- is on the way. (The NBA's official awards ballot includes five spots for MVP and three for the other major awards. The media vote on all the awards below except Executive of the Year.)
It was often called a "perfect storm." But what an imperfect mess it left behind.
LOS ANGELES -- Trevor Ariza didn't exactly know his way around the visitors' locker room at Staples Center as he returned to his old home Sunday night for the first time since signing with the Rockets in the offseason.
Four SI.com writers analyze the latest news and address hot topics from around the NBA each week. (All stats and records are through Monday.)
Every NBA season is a novel, with multiple subplots and an endless parade of characters converging on June. It's a story guaranteed to bring unexpected drama and comedy, but some of the plot lines are just sitting there, waiting to play out.
There are many things that Ron Artest does well. He is one of the best defenders in the NBA, a prolific scorer and an even more prolific Twitterer. But an ability to simply "blend in" has never been Artest's forte. Yet that's exactly what the Lakers are asking him to do this season.
LOS ANGELES -- As they watched Vitali Klitschko pummel Chris Arreola from a pair of ringside seats Saturday night, Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were all smiles. Lakers fans will undoubtedly be happy if that scene is repeated this time next year.
This article appears in the July 27, 2009, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Two years ago, Kobe Bryant was demanding to be traded. Much has changed for the Lakers in that short time to convert his doubts into a potential new dynasty.
Having watched the Cavaliers, Spurs and Magic make big moves to challenge their defense of the title, the Lakers' bold response has trumped them all. By agreeing to terms with Ron Artest last week, the champs have renewed themselves as the team to beat.
ATLANTA (SI.com) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are close to reaching an agreement with Houston forward Ron Artest, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The NBA playoffs got downright nasty Wednesday night with three incidents that found their way to the desk of league disciplinary czar Stu Jackson. On Thursday afternoon, the league announced Orlando's Rafer Alston and the Lakers' Derek Fisher would each be suspended for a game and that Kobe Bryant would be assessed a flagrant foul. SI.com's NBA experts weigh in on how they feel the league should have handled each of the participants.
LOS ANGELES -- Soft. It was a word that hung over the Lakers like a dark cloud during last year's NBA Finals and continued to haunt them during the off-season. Every time they were pushed and didn't push back, every time they were fouled hard and didn't return the favor, every time someone stood up to them and they didn't stand just a little bit taller, that word would rear its ugly head.
SI.com NBA writers analyze the latest news and address hot topics from around the league each week.
SI.com will analyze each of the NBA's 30 teams as regular-season tip-off approaches. For a complete list of team-by-team breakdowns, click here. The information in the "Go figure" category below is provided by Roland Beech of 82games.com.
SI.com will analyze each of the NBA's 30 teams as regular-season tip-off approaches. For a complete list of team-by-team breakdowns, click here. The information in the "Go figure" category below is provided by Roland Beech of 82games.com.
NBA training camps for the 2008-09 season are about to open. Soon the air will be filled with the sound of basketballs bouncing, sneakers squeaking and coaches barking out commands.
Amid word of his trade to the Houston Rockets comes more news regarding Ron Artest's future: He has hired David Bauman to be his agent.
Yao Ming has clarified his comments about new Rockets acquisition Ron Artest, now saying he was always thrilled that Houston traded for the enigmatic forward.
It's either a tribute to the security preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics or a reminder of the NBA's soap-operatic tendencies that basketball's next international incident likely will occur not in Beijing but in Houston.
The Houston Rockets may have just punched Tracy McGrady's ticket out of the first round.
Ron Artest is doing his part. Josh Howard might already have done his part. Now the onus is on the Mavericks and Kings to do their parts.
When last seen, the Lakers were getting run off the Gatorade-splashed floor in Boston on their way to a humiliating defeat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Since then, it has been awfully quiet for L.A.'s glamour team. It is almost as if Kobe Bryant and Co. are glad to slink back into the shadows and let the Clippers steal all the attention for a while.
Also in this column: • Karl wouldn't sign off on Artest deal
Rivals have been speculating all week about another blockbuster that would send Sacramento's Ron Artest to Denver before the trade deadline Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Lakers, Suns and Mavericks have made major upgrades in the last two weeks, but that doesn't mean the trade talk is done. More big moves remain open to negotiation before Thursday's deadline, including the possibility that Sacramento's Ron Artest could end up in Denver.
SI.com: Just sit tightupdated: Wed May 16 2007 14:00:00
During the 2004 playoffs, members of the Indiana Pacers were involved in an altercation with members of the Boston Celtics. Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal, who had just been on the receiving end of a hard foul from Brandon Hunter, confronted Hunter near midcourt. Indiana's Ron Artest, who was not in the game at the time, took two steps onto the court before catching himself and returning to the Pacers' sideline.
SI.com: Secondary concernupdated: Thu Mar 08 2007 09:52:00
Of all the befuddling personalities and contract issues confronting the Sacramento Kings, guess which is near the bottom of the list?
1. Hush that mushing: I was reading some of the Iditarod coverage Tuesday morning because, well, it was on SI.com's front page when I came to a realization. There is no sporting event that I could even plausibly enter that I would want to avoid more than the Iditarod. (The "plausibility" clause eliminates things like fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world.) I would much rather, for instance, enter an ultramarathon in Death Valley than the Iditarod, and not just because I have run two marathons and have at least an inkling that I might finish. Basically, I really hate the cold, and what sporting event is colder for longer than mushing 12-16 dogs for 1,150 miles across Alaska for 10-17 days? Consider Tuesday's news item that four-time champ Doug Swingley has withdrawn from this year's race after a fall left him with potentially broken ribs and a possibly dislocated thumb. Read further down the story and you'll note that Swingley scratched from the 2004 race because he suffered frostbite on h
SI.com: Artest arrestedupdated: Mon Mar 05 2007 17:59:00
AUBURN, California (Ticker) -- Ron Artest is in trouble once again.
After his team lost to the Knicks last Friday, its fifth defeat in seven games, Dwyane Wade could no longer hide his frustration over the Heat's sluggish play.
SI.com: The hair up thereupdated: Thu Jan 25 2007 14:43:00
Sometimes, it's not whether you win or lose, but how you look doing it that matters most. And while NBA players put a premium on winning, you'd be fooling yourself if you didn't think the players care about how they look. And there's no better way to judge someone's appearance than by his hair.
SI.com: Brawl aftereffectsupdated: Thu Jan 18 2007 09:48:00
The downtrodden Sacramento Kings travel to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday night to play the suddenly somnolent Detroit Pistons in what should be, oh, the 77th-most interesting thing going on in your world that day.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick was very hands-on at the finish of last Sunday's playoff win over the Jets. In his haste to lay an awkward midfield man-hug on Jets coach Eric Mangini, Belichick shoved a Boston Globe photographer out of his way. Belichick later apologized, but as this list shows, it's far from the first time that a sports figure has wanted a camera (or cameramen) or reporter out of the picture.
Basket-brawlupdated: Mon Nov 22 2004 17:39:00
Despite the fallout from Friday's basketball brawl between the Pacers, Pistons and fans -- the Pacers are standing behind their players who threw the punches, including Ron Artest.
The ugly scene at the Pistons/Pacers game Friday night will do more than shake up the National Basketball Association and the well-heeled fans who sit courtside.
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