Ron Artest tells espn.com that he regrets not opting out

[SacKings7]

Typical Ron Artest. The guy had months to think about this decision, then hours after he makes his decision he says he regrets it. Trade him, this is not what we need

 

[Aenadin]

maloofs maloofs maloofs.... hmmmmm

i recall this is the same artest that said we would make the playoffs under muss...

the same guy that said he will play for "free" if bonzi and adelman were hired back...

guy who keeps changing his mind every now and then...

why the hell would the maloofs want to sign a guy like this??

also if the maloofs would be making decisions again...im scared for the future...

maloofs were the ones who hired musselman and were WOWED by his presentation and hired him even if geoff wasnt entirely with the plan...

these guys wanted to bring in john whisenant after winning his first WNBA championship....

honestly those guys should just leave it to geoff who won executive of the year twice already

if ron stays longer he will stunt the growth of garcia... would eat up more capspace, could lead us to playoffs but lead us with mediocre draft picks.. we need to get younger and let these young ones play.

this is the best time for him to be traded to playoff teams like

Raptors: Bargnani starts at SF any one young and tall... and he wont get any time behind bosh

Phoenix: take Raja bell or leandro barbosa i prefer barbosa though

Utah: take kyrylo fesenko and matt harpring

well i wouldnt know who else we can work in but RON has to go....

 

[Warhawk]

He wanted to be here. He was basically told no thank you.


Didn't he realize this before he decided not to opt out? If he knew he wasn't wanted, he should have said goodbye on his own terms and gone where he was. What does his agent have to say about all of this? His story changes so often, his agent probably can't even keep it straight.

I must be missing something here, but to give him a large deal only to have him "regret" that 5 minutes later would be much worse that only having to deal with him at the most until he hits the FA market next season.

He was shopped heavily at the trade deadline - what made him think he wasn't going to be shopped again if he opted in????

 

[sidney]

He was shopped heavily at the trade deadline - what made him think he wasn't going to be shopped again if he opted in????

Excellent point. A late first rounder and a rookie contract would have gotten him traded a couple months ago so I cannot believe he was misled in any way about a proimise for a long term deal.

Plus, read the article in the Bee about it today and both Petrie and Ron's agent are shocked at his comments and don't understand them. That should tell everyone who is off base.

 

[rfdong]

basically

he stayed for one reason, actually about $1.5 million of them. He knew he wouldn't get more than the MLE out there and while it's debatable whethers he's worth it or not given his antics, HE said he'd never accept the MLE. Now he sees EB and BD opt out and get big contracts and thinks I could have done that, but it's not even remotely true. That deal was obviously engineered by one of the agents as EB is going to resign. How many times the last year have we read than Ron would love to play in NY, LA etc. Now he's hurt? He simply needs to think before he speaks or emails.

 

[VF21]

Presumptive facts:

•Ron Artest is not a money-grubbing athlete looking for the best paycheck.

•Ron Artest is not out to destroy the Kings.

•Ron Artest is not the devil incarnate.

•Ron Artest is someone who is way too emotionally invested in how the public perceives him.

•Ron Artest is someone with issues no sports fan is ever going to really understand or be able to help with.

(This part is for Carmichael Dave: If you really wanted to do the guy a favor, you never would have had him come back onto your show to discuss something this volatile. His biggest problem is opening his mouth to the media and Dave, face it. YOU ARE THE MEDIA. You are no longer the guy calling in to KHTK from Carmichael to talk about the Kings. That guy ceased to exist a very long time ago.)

Artest has a lot of baggage. I hope at some point in his life he finds a way to get rid of some of it. But he cannot blame Kings fans - or fans of the Pacers, for that matter - for not wanting to be an ongoing part of the drama that is the Life of Ron Artest.

Webber wanted to finish his career here, as did Doug, Peja and Bibby. Jason never really got a chance to settle in before he was traded. Trades are part of the NBA business. Artest should know that. And as I've heard he's pretty Internet savvy, he should also realize the passion of Kings fans. If he wasn't ALWAYS speaking without any real thought as to the consequences, we'd all be better off. But he does speak to anyone and everyone who will listen - and he hurts himself more than any enemy ever could.

I'm sorry he has issues; I'm sorry he feels as though a lot of Kings fans have abandoned him. But I am not sorry for wanting him gone. He wants us to understand how he feels? Well, how about if he tries to understand how WE feel?

When he was talking about opting out, it was because it would be best for him. But then, he stays, the team talks about doing what would be best for them, and all of a sudden he's upset? Because it's not about him????

I'm done with this whole drama. I paid for my ticket, I saw the show. I'm not sticking around for the next performance of Ron Artest Dinner Theater.

Someone call me when it's over, please.

 

[Merdiesel]

Good, trade his ***.

 

[Kingfanpaul]

I believe Ron reads these forums so here.....



Dear Ron,

I was a very big fan of yours and could not wait for you to be traded here. I think you have amazing talent. I gave you a completely clean slate when you came here, because I believed you deserved a second chance. But over the last couple years it has been hard to stay by your side. As a loyal Kings fan it is hard to have one of the players on your team always talking to the media and saying something somewhat controversial. If you stayed out of the media or had some reserve on the things you say, you would be a HUGE star in this league. BUT you don't stay out of the media, you talk any chance you get and it's your mouth (and fists) that have given you a bad image in the league.

You give your heart and soul on the court but sometimes it appears as though you don't feel like playing if it's just an unexciting game against a weak opponent. I also don't like players that txt message the coach a few minutes before game time saying they are not playing, but if it's against say the lakers you would be on that court even if you had two broken legs.

You seem to care a lot about how the fans and maybe even the media perceive you, yet you are the one who keeps giving them reason not to like you. If you really want people to love you..........SHUT UP! Have some reserve, try thinking about what you say before you say it.

Do you understand how much it pisses of Kings fans to hear you say that it was a mistake to not opt out, just hours after you decided not to? Sure you might have been under the impression you might get a long term deal, but how could you think that when you KNOW the Kings were doing all they could to trade you at the deadline. As stated above what makes you think they want to keep you now? Maybe you should fire your agent because he does not seem to be doing a good job.

I have gone back and forth on the idea, but now I know for sure. The Kings will be much better without you, even if our record does not show it.

Sincerely,

KingFanPaul
Loyal Kings Fan

 

[PFFFT!!]

My opinion here, but the problems facing this entire organization to place this team back in the top 5 in the West are much bigger and important than Ron. Ron is not the issue here. The entire team with exception of KM is tradeable. That tells you something.

 

[Bibby_10]

My opinion here, but the problems facing this entire organization to place this team back in the top 5 in the West are much bigger and important than Ron. Ron is not the issue here. The entire team with exception of KM is tradeable. That tells you something.

Actually, KM is tradeable as well.

 

[rfdong]

Vf21

I agree with all except the first presumptive fact. While I would not classify him as money grubbing, he also could have opted out and joined the Lakers or any other proven playoff contender for the MLE and didn't. So, while he says he would take less for a title he didn't do it. Anybody with any insight into the NBA/cap etc should have seen that he was not in our plans and would be traded or hopefully traded either way. His best option was to opt out and work a sign and trade for more money and better team. He didn't. His agent either doesn't know what he's doing, or Ron doesn't listen to him.

 

[Bricklayer]

His agent either doesn't know what he's doing, or Ron doesn't listen to him.

yeah -- I said something similar last week. There may be a disconnect there (and some recent quotes sound like a professional agent unable to control his erratic client). Teh agent may be more interested in prserving his own relationships wiht GMs/owners than risking things for a single dubious clinet, the agent may be blowing smoke up Ron's behind by way of manipulation, or the agent may be just a fool "thinking" with dollar signs in his eyes ratehr than clearheadedly. But this looks like a blunder. And the second one we have seen up close and personal here in the last few years (Bonzi).

 

[hrdboild]

I'm sorry I ever posted in this thread. Like talking to a brick wall.

 

[ZZE916]

Hmmm.

• Ron wants to make as much money as possible for as long a period of time as possible.
• He thought about switching "companies", but decided to stay where he was already employed.
• When he thought about not pursuing other opprotunities, then found out his "company" REALLY did not want him he had second thoughts about his decision.
• He said so (in public).

He sounds just like me, and perhaps quite a few of us.

 

[bajaden]

I'm sorry I ever posted in this thread. Like talking to a brick wall.

Don't be sorry. I know your very passionate about Ron, and I can appreciate your feeling alone on this. Most of us don't hate Ron. I find him amusing at times. He's an excellent player. But most of what has happened is a result of Ron. But not all of it. I don't think the Kings are saying goodby to Ron, (if they are), because they dislike him. I think they believe he's not a good fit at this time, on this team. Ron is a perfect fit on a team thats ready to compete for a title right now, and were not it.

Man I've been watching sports for 50 years. I've seen my favorite player traded away more times than I want to count. Its part of the business. Not my favorite part sometimes. My favorite GM is Bill Walsh. He was a shrewd dude. But he was as cold as ice, when the time came to do what needed to be done for the team. He traded Montana, got rid of Lott etc. But the team keep winning. Hard to argue with the results.

 

[KingKong]

I believe Ron reads these forums so here.....



Dear Ron,

I was a very big fan of yours and could not wait for you to be traded here. I think you have amazing talent. I gave you a completely clean slate when you came here, because I believed you deserved a second chance. But over the last couple years it has been hard to stay by your side. As a loyal Kings fan it is hard to have one of the players on your team always talking to the media and saying something somewhat controversial. If you stayed out of the media or had some reserve on the things you say, you would be a HUGE star in this league. BUT you don't stay out of the media, you talk any chance you get and it's your mouth (and fists) that have given you a bad image in the league.

You give your heart and soul on the court but sometimes it appears as though you don't feel like playing if it's just an unexciting game against a weak opponent. I also don't like players that txt message the coach a few minutes before game time saying they are not playing, but if it's against say the lakers you would be on that court even if you had two broken legs.

You seem to care a lot about how the fans and maybe even the media perceive you, yet you are the one who keeps giving them reason not to like you. If you really want people to love you..........SHUT UP! Have some reserve, try thinking about what you say before you say it.

Do you understand how much it pisses of Kings fans to hear you say that it was a mistake to not opt out, just hours after you decided not to? Sure you might have been under the impression you might get a long term deal, but how could you think that when you KNOW the Kings were doing all they could to trade you at the deadline. As stated above what makes you think they want to keep you now? Maybe you should fire your agent because he does not seem to be doing a good job.

I have gone back and forth on the idea, but now I know for sure. The Kings will be much better without you, even if our record does not show it.

Sincerely,

KingFanPaul
Loyal Kings Fan

co-sign.

 

[Aenadin]

ron's multiple behaviour and the way he can be tactless at times is going to cause him problems even for his future team... if he does go to the mavs... via trade is he going to claim that team as his own just because it was carlisle who is coaching.. its DIRKS team... will he claim San antonio when its Duncan's and so forth?

here it was all him... he was the vet and the so called star as theus said himself the "go to guy" but then again ron being ron continues to yak on about opting out not opting then opting then staying then regretting...

i dont know how to read his mind.. free spirited or not there has to be at least some sort of direction for him.. if he was a foreman no structure will ever be built... if he is part of the rebuilding there will be no Kings of the future,

its these things that he does amusing or not is one of the reasons why he will never reach is "prime" post detroit brawl he was a dark horse for MVP and his stats showed it that season...

i dont know how to read what he says no one can and no one should even bother, i bet his agent is as much as confuse with him but one thing for sure is he is gone by the start of the season, if most of the guys here go to games im betting there will be a lot of boos for him (ill never be on a kings game..... i live on the other side of the world though i always support the kings )

 

[Gary]

Full disclosure: I am obviously biased.

A lot of things said in this thread are true, good and bad. I can tell you there is more backstory, and I can also tell you that although it didnt seem that way.....a LOT was held back in that interview Tuesday night.

The one thing I disagree with is the perception that Ron comes on my show to air his grievances.

Ron has been on the show quite a bit, and this is the first time he has said anything remotely negative or controversial. Yes, there are other media outlets where that may not apply, but not with my dealings with him.

I asked Ron to come on. He agreed, but very reluctantly. I felt that with everything being said and written, he needed the opportunity to explain his frustration, and I wanted people to hear it direct from him, not a 20 second clip or quick paragraph.

The fact is, despite being very frustrated and disappointed, he called in at 12:30 am NY time and spoke. Say what you want, but in today's world of cookie cutter sound bytes and athletes that live in a cocoon of PR and yes men, Ron has made an effort to put himself out there, good or bad. The only agenda he is pushing is to try and let people get to know another side of him. Players get paid lots of money to go on the radio for 10 minutes a week on the phone for a "player show", and this guy comes on 2-3 times a week (usually in studio) in the offseason.

Look, its a business, and that shouldnt be forgotten. Are the Kings better without him, perhaps. Does he say the wrong thing sometimes...of course.

We hold these people up to a higher standard because they make millions of dollars to play a game. I, nor should any of you, won't lose sleep about this. Ron will be fine.

But is there really anything wrong with thinking (hoping?) that you have finally found a home, with a rebuilding team that you are willing to spend your prime years with, and wanting to stay? Once upon a time we couldnt get anyone to sniff this town, and now this guy wants to stay a King, and is frustrated that he can't.

We've all been rejected. Turned down for prom, fired, etc. Imagine that in a fishbowl public forum. Then you read how crazy you are, same old guy, people saying they HATE you......really?

Please don't read this as some "poor ron" post, but I do think we are quick to judge, and when you really look at it....the guy just wants to stay here. Perhaps for waaaaaaay too much money, but he couldve opted out Monday, gone pretty much anywhere he wanted, and played on a contender. He wanted to be here. He was basically told no thank you.

I'm just sayin, that's all.

I'm one of those people that hate Artest. Sorry but he hasn't done a thing except stick his foot in his mouth about wanting to be here, then saying he doesn't (100 degree turn whatever that meant). He's caused issues on the floor by not being very coachable, or a team player. He holds the ball too much and disrupts the offense. He does SO many things that hurt this team.. Not even including the things he says one day than contradicts the same very things a day later.

I couldn't care less if he's unhappy and feels bad. Boo freaking hoo. He's a big boy that makes millions. If he cannot take it then maybe he's in the wrong profession.

It's pretty funny now because you cannot believe a damn thing Artest does or says anymore because he flips it a day later. Why do people say he's faking injuries? Because he says he is hurt but is he really? The next game against a big named opponent suddenly Artest is out there without a hitch in his game. He says he wants to be here but then the next day he realizes that maybe he does not. You know, maybe if he didn't change his mind, or lie every 10 seconds he would have more than 3 fans here in Sac.

It's to the point that I don't even care or listen to what he has to say. I didn't catch his interview on your show because there is no reason for him to "explain himself" because it's just another lie or story from him. It's like that Uncle "Ron" everyone has who says they are making 200k a year yet live in a crappy apartment and drive a pinto who's always home when you call because he really doesn't have that nice job. When he visits all he talks about is himself and what he's doing and deep down everyone just laughs at him because he's a pathological liar and nobody is buying his story except for the 10 year olds at the kiddie tables. And even the 10 year olds grow up and realize Uncle Ron was full of crap.

Hey Ron, NOBODY CARES! JUST LEAVE!

 

[FakeInjury]

Ron showed us his cards. They say "trade me". Its always nice when you know what the other player is holding. Now, Petrie has told Ron, " Dont make any headlines, and we'll see what offers come" and "If nothing comes by the start of the season, we want you to sit-out" untill the trade deadline. What sucks is we cant just trade him to anyone, he has to go to a contender. This keeps sacramento's reputation as a respectable place to play.

 

[VF21]

One of the posters on PacersDigest said it all about Artest:

My only statement that I have to make about this is what I have always said.

Being selfish is not a mental illness. Being disruptive because you are self centered is not a mental illness.

Ron does have a mental problem, but people let him off the hook way to easily by using the "he's nut's" statement.

Yes, he has a legitimate medical condition.

However that does not explain or excuse all of his bad behavior.

Ron is just a person just like anyone else. He has both good and bad sides to him.

To many times though people use the (he has a heart of gold and truely cares) excuse for him when at the end of the day that is all it is, an excuse.

He is self centered and is a total distraction because he chooses to be, not because he has a medical condition that makes him this way.

I think he hit the nail on the head all the way around. The last sentence really says it all.

 

[DirtyAcres]

Is there actual proof of Artest having an actual medical condition or is this just another message board doctor diagnosis?

 

[VF21]

Depends, I suppose, on your POV. You can conclude the myriad of articles about his anger issues are simply all "message board doctor diagnosis" types or you can conclude where there's that much smoke there has to be fire.

As far as actual proof goes, only Artest, his family, his doctor, his lawyer, his psychiatrist, various team officials and certain insiders know for sure. If you don't want to buy into it, that's certainly your perogative.

 

[DirtyAcres]

Well the poster claims it is a "legitimate medical condition", so what is it?

 

[VF21]

You could always go to PacersDigest and ask him.

 

[VF21]

Well the poster claims it is a "legitimate medical condition", so what is it?

BTW, I googled "Artest medications" and came up with some interesting links. Among them are a link to a business page that quotes Mark Cuban as saying Artest has issues and takes medication for them and a pretty insightful piece from the Washington Post that details a lot of the problems from Artest's childhood.

Mike Jarvis, his college coach at St. John's, said last week that Artest "needed help." Rafer Alston, a guard with the Toronto Raptors who often played with Artest during the summer, blames the NBA for failing to nurture young players like Artest. "Ron is not a bad person, he just has issues he needs to take care of," Alston said. "But the league wants you to get that help. They don't want to spend their own dollars or help with a support system."



Michael Ruffin, a former teammate of Artest's in Chicago who now plays for the Washington Wizards, called Artest "a genuinely good person."
"He's emotional," Ruffin added. "The things that make him a great player sometimes make him go over the edge."

 

[DirtyAcres]

First link didn't mention Artest at all, maybe you linked it to the wrong article. Second link mentioned nothing at all to do with a legitimate medical condition.

I don't feel like signing up to another team's message board. It would seem to be easier for you to find this information since you are already a member there, if you could do that, I would appreciate it because I don't think it is fair to be stating that Artest has a "legitimate medical condition" as fact, when there is nothing to back this up, as of now.

 

[VF21]

You don't have to sign up to read at PacersDigest. You're the one who wants to find fault with Peck's statement, so I'm thinking you're the one that needs to refute it if you're so inclined. And, BTW, Peck isn't the only person who has made those kinds of comments. You can Google Artest medications for yourself and see the results. Are you saying all those references are without substance?

As far as the first link being incorrect, sorry but you're wrong there, too. Here's the quote:

...4. Mark Cuban, asked in jest if he would trade PMB for Ron Artest, even up, responded in part: “No. Ron Artest knows what his issues are and takes medication.” Please comment. We know about Mr. Cuban’s short position in OSTK, which he puts at 20,000 shares.

Was Cuban serious? Who knows? But it's an indication of how widespread the reference is that it can even show up on totally unrelated sites.

If you want to disprove all those who have discussed Artest's apparent medical issues, feel free to do so. My post was PRIMARILY about the last part of Peck's comment, which I bolded. Here it is again:

He is self centered and is a total distraction because he chooses to be, not because he has a medical condition that makes him this way.

Bottom line is that Artest chooses to be who and what he is, regardless of any medical condition he may or may not have.

 

[DirtyAcres]

You can Google Artest medications for yourself and see the results. Are you saying all those references are without substance?

I just googled VF21 medications and you are linked to pretty much every discussion having to do with Artest and medications.

Here is a quote from Artest himself that I found when googling Artest/Medications.

"But I've never taken that medication because I'm not crazy," Artest says. "I'm me. You just gotta understand me."

As far as the first link being incorrect, sorry but you're wrong there, too. Here's the quote:

Thanks for finding that, it was way too long of a back and forth email conversation I didn't have time to read.

If you want to disprove all those who have discussed Artest's apparent medical issues, feel free to do so.

I have nothing to disprove. No one has yet to provide any proof he has a legitimate medical condition that requires medication.

 

[fnordius]

I have nothing to disprove. No one has yet to provide any proof he has a legitimate medical condition that requires medication.

Don't hold your breath. A health care provider who blabs about a patient's diagnosis, meds, or similar information can be hit with a six-figure fine and a term in federal prison. The only way around that is to have a written authorization from the patient, saying to release the information to a specific party. I can't imagine any NBA player ever signing a note telling their doctor or psychiatrist to inform the press that they're undergoing treatment for some sort of mood or personality issues, can you?

 

[DirtyAcres]

I know I've heard him say some members of his family have had a history of mental instability, but I've never heard Artest admit to taking medication, in fact he has said the exact opposite in denying medication. Why would he be so open about his families history yet lie about taking medication?


I guess I just don't find it fair that certain members on this board are calling him insane. That is a serious accusation, and according to the rules laid down, seems to be player bashing.