[ESPN]-Artest reassures Yao on chemistry concers

[Optimism Prime]

Come on, guys. Yao was really out of line with his comments. How can you not expect Ron to take this the wrong way:

"I AM THIS MOTHA **** FRANCHISE! RON ARTEST!? IS YOU SERIOUS?! WHO THE **** IS RON ARTEST TO THINK HE CAN COME HERE AND **** THEY CHEMISTRY UP!!? THAT PUNK ASS MA **** BE JUMPING INTHE STANDS AN ****. HE GONNA FIND OUT THAT YAO MING DON'T PLAY. I MEAN YAO MING DO PLAY, BUT HE DON'T **** AROUND"- Actual Yao Ming quote from the Sacto Bee

I'm surprised Ron wasn't more upset.

You forgot:

"Ron has played with a lot of black players, but I don't think he's ever played with an Asian player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Ron Artest gets to know me, he'll understand what I'm about. If you go back to the Olympics, that's a culture issue right there. Somebody was disrespecting me, so he's got to understand where I'm coming from. People that know me know that Yao Ming never changed."

[Guy986]

Ron Artest hates asians because he didn't wanna have an asian sandwich with Yao Ming and a vietnamese chick.

[YaoZai]

Ron Artest hates asians because he didn't wanna have an asian sandwich with Yao Ming and a vietnamese chick.

eh... why Vietnamese chick? just wondering... how did the chick come into the picture?

[Guy986]

A vietnamese chick made a call to Ron's radio show in Sacramento and asked for an asian sandwich with Yao and Artest. Artest was reluctant... If it was a black sandwich with Mcgrady and a black chick, he would've been down with that!





well, he actually said his wife is gonna strangle him.

[DraftBoy10]

Artest has a lot of pressure on him as a person and character. I think this time around he's with a team that has reported no chemistry issues in years before, has some of the greatest citizens to don a NBA uniform in Dikembe, Yao, and Shane. So if anything stirs up, it's on him.

That responsibility and pressured coupled with his contract year will equate to a dangerous Artest on the court, and lovable Artest off the court.

[CuttingEdge]

Yao didn't really mean anything by his comment. It's probably his version of a joke but since he's not crafty with his tone of voice his comments came out serious. SacTown media, just like any other, will twist words around.

[TOStateofMind]

Yao had generally praised Artest and the trade, but had said he was concerned about “chemistry” and made a joking reference to the incident when Artest went into the stands after a fan, inspiring Artest to say he would be happy to come to Houston only if Yao and the Rockets demonstrated their commitment to the move.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mplkn/5918602.html

So really thats all we really needed to know.