Rockets get Artest!!!

[St.Nick]

Yao probably knows what a nutter Artest is and was simply voicing honest concerns about him. After seeing Artest's response, it looks like he was right to have those concerns.

Certainly, Yao could have played it another way and just kept his mouth shut. But the truth of the matter lies in Artest's response. He could have shrugged it off and said that he'd made mistakes in the past and would not do the same in the future with Houston. Instead he makes those idiotic comments and confirms that he is a threat to chemistry (Yao's original concern).

BTW, the Yao call to Artest, I don't see that as a "reach out." Most likely a Houston exec told Yao that they had to spin this thing back into the Rockets favor or else it would become a bigger issue. This is not over. The cat is out of the bag.

[old rem]

On behalf of non-crazy black people everywhere, both ghetto and non-ghetto I would like to take this opportunity to point out that Ron doesn't represent but his own crazy ass. Crazy in the ghetto is still effin crazy. Crazy ain't no culture I ever heard of.

What a douchebag.

I can't believe some of you poons wanted this (Please Use More Appropriate Word) on our team.

Amen. There's some flags you just don't wanna march behind and Artest don't just wave those flags,he wears them like boxer shorts. Add in his awful tendency to take a game off now and then or get chucker fever...and here's a brat that's done all he could to muck up a rare opportunity.

I wanna say that as a white ex hippy, Charlie Manson don't speak for me. " Jerk" comes in all colors and shapes. Artest. Sac is lucky to be getting something back.

[floppymoose]

BTW, the Yao call to Artest, I don't see that as a "reach out."

Those were Artest's words. From the link I posted...

[Sleepy51]

Amen. There's some flags you just don't wanna march behind and Artest don't just wave those flags,he wears them like boxer shorts. Add in his awful tendency to take a game off now and then or get chucker fever...and here's a brat that's done all he could to muck up a rare opportunity.

I wanna say that as a white ex hippy, Charlie Manson don't speak for me. " Jerk" comes in all colors and shapes. Artest. Sac is lucky to be getting something back.

Actually Rem, all white people are crazy, as evidenced by bungie jumping, rodeo and drag racing. All non-white people know this.

[old rem]

Amen. There's some flags you just don't wanna march behind and Artest don't just wave those flags,he wears them like boxer shorts. Add in his awful tendency to take a game off now and then or get chucker fever...and here's a brat that's done all he could to muck up a rare opportunity.

I wanna say that as a white ex hippy, Charlie Manson don't speak for me. " Jerk" comes in all colors and shapes. Artest. Sac is lucky to be getting something back.

Actually Rem, all white people are crazy, as evidenced by bungie jumping, rodeo and drag racing. All non-white people know this.

I can't sit here and claim I ain't crazy....just my # of Real GM posts pretty much blows away any defense,and I have done stuff that's loco (seemed a good idea at the time). NEVER did Rodeo,Bungee jumps or Drag racing. Used to enjoy rock climbing on LSD....but that was long ago....
Now I like to watch " Cops" and play critic. Uh huh.....KNEW that was a bad Idea,dude....that police dog KNOWS you are in the shrubbery....
damn.....there's folks out there WAY crazier than I even pretended to be! I'm damn near normal....except for that unhealthy basketball fetish...

[old rem]

Amen. There's some flags you just don't wanna march behind and Artest don't just wave those flags,he wears them like boxer shorts. Add in his awful tendency to take a game off now and then or get chucker fever...and here's a brat that's done all he could to muck up a rare opportunity.

I wanna say that as a white ex hippy, Charlie Manson don't speak for me. " Jerk" comes in all colors and shapes. Artest. Sac is lucky to be getting something back.

Actually Rem, all white people are crazy, as evidenced by bungie jumping, rodeo and drag racing. All non-white people know this.

Don't forget extreme skiing

[FNQ]

If this was anyone but Ron Artest, Yao would be looking like such a d-bag right now... Media yanking people around by the nose, giving "leader" Yao absolutely no flack for bringing that up, publicly, without having spoken to Artest first.

it... for Ron, for handling this the way he did. He's Ron and he's not going to change... Ron's just Stephen Jackson w/more publicity and less control... and all everyone can do is focus on what his feelings were after getting a beer thrown on him rather than look @ Yao and wonder what the hell he was thinking...

Ron's about respect... if he feels disrespected he has no problem letting anyone and everyone know it. So what does leader Yao do immediately? Attack Ron from an incident 4 years ago that I'm sure everyone wants to put behind them. A public apology would make Yao look less stupid... takes some real effort to be the dumber man in a verbal spar w/Ron Artest.

[Sleepy51]

Two items:
1) Stephen Jackson is a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) also, but a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) who has worked the hell out of his rehab campaign. Artest OTOH has continued to up since the brawl. Remorse matters. Attonement matters. Continuing to defiantly act like a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) matters. Being ghetto isn't an excuse for being a (Please Use More Appropriate Word). Ron's life is a case study in "when keepin it real goes wrong"

2) see #1. Yao and any other leader can't be totally faulted for say "whoa" this might not be such a good idea. Let's take it slow. He's made enough of a circus of himself to raise legitimate concerns amongst potential teammates. This is a bed Artest has made with his own actions. "'The media' didn't make you rob that liquor store."

I don't blame anyone for having reservations about sharing a locker room with Ron. He's a distraction, he's a bufoon and he hasn't EARNED the trust of teammates for a long time. Once it gets to that point, a leader has an interest in protecting the team from a damaging influence can become more important than playing nice and saying the politically correct thing.

If Jason had any repeat offenses or other violent or socially irresponsible incidents in the last few years, then he'd be a suspect too. But Ron's "i ain't changin" attitude is the reason he's different. He should change. The person he is right now is a dumbass or a psycho.

You're absolutely right, if it were anyone but Ron, Yao would be a jerk, but it is Ron. He said it himself, "I'm not changing." If he doens't want to continue to be treated like Ron, then it's time to change.

[Chris Cohan]

Baron changed.

[Sleepy51]

:
Ron's about respect... if he feels disrespected he has no problem letting anyone and everyone know it.

I hear that sort of thing all the time from my convict brother. That's not how adults function in this world. You earn respect with your actions, not by making a scene comlpaining about not getting it.

[FNQ]

How does Yao's comments help the situation at all?

Yao's still an idiot and a jerk for doing that, and that's even before he talked to the guy. It seems Yao is already beginning to concede that this was not a good move.

A strategy that usually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy...

To absolve Yao just because Ron's effin crazy? Nah.. this was Yao's fault for making a headline, and the media of course is going to eat it up. Now if Yao said this to the owners, the GM, his teammates, that's understandable. But his original comments are just setting himself, Artest, and the Rockets FO, to fail.

Ron loves going to the media and shooting his mouth off... Yao essentially invites him to do that before Ron's even on the plane to Houston... Let sleeping dogs lie, Yao... Don't feed the animals... insert other "leave Ron the eff alone" cliches here... I can't see past the boneheaded-ness of Yao's comments right now to even begin with the insanity that is Artest...

[FNQ]

:
Ron's about respect... if he feels disrespected he has no problem letting anyone and everyone know it.

I hear that sort of thing all the time from my convict brother. That's not how adults function in this world. You earn respect with your actions, not by making a scene comlpaining about not getting it.

Yeah... we've had a few kids go through here with the same attitude. It's not justifying Ron's attitude - it just is what it is. If people are banking on Ron to change, they are crazy... but the Rockets should have had everyone on the same page here. You have to create a scenario that makes it easy for Ron to thrive - you have to prepare for his personality. That's the risk, because he's a great basketball talent.

But overall.. you can tell what kind of people have that attitude... to quote a favorite book of mine, these types of people "go around and beg to be killed. They are the type of people who command respect w/o provocation. The same men who jump out of their cars and ridicule others, when they have no idea what those men are capable of. Those men are yelling "KILL ME! KILL ME! And eventually someone will oblige them." (any culture here? )

That's Ron... Rockets had a distinct advantage on the Kings/Pacers/Bulls - they know exactly what type of crazy to expect.

[Sleepy51]

How does Yao's comments help the situation at all?

Yao's still an idiot and a jerk for doing that, and that's even before he talked to the guy. It seems Yao is already beginning to concede that this was not a good move.

Hey man, If I''m Yao? I'm trying to put the kabosh on this deal any way I can, for the good of my team. Eff crazy ass Ron.