http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/14168216p-14995807c.html
Artest brings Kings many things
And leadership is just one of them, his new teammates say. He also offers a needed toughness.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
He was said to be many things, from volatile to explosive and even cancerous.
Leader, if you recall, wasn't one of the adjectives jammed into the baggage Ron Artest had in tow on his trip from Indiana to Sacramento.
But six games in, and the spirit of a man so long known for his sideshows has taken over the Kings' locker room, the respect from his teammates growing daily while the new guy and his All-Star abilities have made the Kings relevant and, at times, formidable again.
And considering his past - one so chronicled it bears burying for now - who would have thought that the contagiousness of the Artest psyche would be considered a good thing? Sure enough, it has been, with an impact one could call profound.
"He has a quality about him that draws other guys into it - the way they play, the effort they put on," said coach Rick Adelman, who has wondered aloud why the holdover players needed this addition to put forth such effort. "He's always pushing. ... He's pushing the younger guys, saying, 'That's not good enough.' When a guy says that and then goes out on the floor and does it, it has an impact."
The Kings are 3-3 since the trade that sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana, a tally skewed by missed chances in a one-point loss to Toronto and one awful quarter in Utah that came while Artest was out with a right hip pointer for half of the period.
In his second game in purple, he was predicting a playoff appearance, a bold proclamation that seemed to raise the collective confidence. Then Artest went to work, putting a plan into action. Following the Delta Center debacle Friday - in which the Kings went 0 for 20 from the field in the fourth quarter and lost 89-79 - Artest called an impromptu team meeting after practice the next day. Even if he won't take credit.
Asked about the gathering, Artest said Mike Bibby and Corliss Williamson called it, though Williamson said, "That's just Ron being nice."
"It was mainly Ron's idea," Williamson said. "We all had things to say - Ron, Mike and myself. It was all about how we're going to approach the rest of the season."
Williamson, formerly the team spokesman on the topics of defense and toughness, is elated to have more like-minded company.
"I didn't know he had those leadership qualities," Williamson said. "And it was right off the bat. ... Ron wasn't afraid to step up and say what he felt or what he saw out there on the court. That's what you need. You want a leader, somebody out there to direct your team who's not afraid to lose."
Which Artest wasn't one day after the meeting, when he hobbled his way through a game against the Jazz at Arco Arena. It was, in essence, Artest walking the walk after talking the talk.
"You see a guy laying it on the line, and you respect that," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who has done the same since returning early from his broken jaw suffered Dec. 26. "You see guys sit out with minor injuries, things that they might have played through. And you never question a guy's injuries, but anytime you see a guy on the court in pain, laboring, you appreciate that."
Abdur-Rahim said Artest is already the most vocal player on a team full of quiet personalities. What's more, he has been eager to tutor guards Kevin Martin and Francisco García, with the youngsters lending an open ear every chance they get.
Brad Miller admitted Wednesday that Artest's presence has inspired a change in his own play. In the veteran's younger days, he and Artest were among the edgiest players in the league while playing together in Chicago and Indiana. On Tuesday, it was Miller's outrage and outburst against Memphis that sealed the Kings' win at Arco Arena, as he scored 12 consecutive fourth-quarter points and earned one technical foul for a flying elbow.
"My first full year in Indiana, we were (ranked) one and two (in flagrant fouls), so we've definitely got a rough side to us," Miller said of he and Artest.
"Sometimes someone has to get you back to that. He is a real strong personality. ... He just comes in and goes 120 percent right away, and it really rubs off on the other guys quickly."
Much like Reggie Miller rubbed off on Artest.
Artest credits the five-time All-Star for his leadership skills. The two played together from 2001 to 2005, when Miller retired after playing his entire 18-season career in Indiana.
"You watch Reggie Miller, play with that guy for four years, and you're going to pick up something," said Artest, who has averaged 17.5 points and 2.2 steals as a King. "All the stuff I learned from Reggie - why not tell the veterans and the rookies, and use it? If I see something, I just try to let people know what I see."
He did so from the start, beginning with the Boston debut in which Artest made a talking motion with his hands, imploring teammates to communicate more. He hasn't stopped since.
"We've got a lot of guys who lead by example," center Brian Skinner said. "But he came in, was vocal, and people listened to what he had to say. We support him, and he supports us."
Artest brings Kings many things
And leadership is just one of them, his new teammates say. He also offers a needed toughness.
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
He was said to be many things, from volatile to explosive and even cancerous.
Leader, if you recall, wasn't one of the adjectives jammed into the baggage Ron Artest had in tow on his trip from Indiana to Sacramento.
But six games in, and the spirit of a man so long known for his sideshows has taken over the Kings' locker room, the respect from his teammates growing daily while the new guy and his All-Star abilities have made the Kings relevant and, at times, formidable again.
And considering his past - one so chronicled it bears burying for now - who would have thought that the contagiousness of the Artest psyche would be considered a good thing? Sure enough, it has been, with an impact one could call profound.
"He has a quality about him that draws other guys into it - the way they play, the effort they put on," said coach Rick Adelman, who has wondered aloud why the holdover players needed this addition to put forth such effort. "He's always pushing. ... He's pushing the younger guys, saying, 'That's not good enough.' When a guy says that and then goes out on the floor and does it, it has an impact."
The Kings are 3-3 since the trade that sent Peja Stojakovic to Indiana, a tally skewed by missed chances in a one-point loss to Toronto and one awful quarter in Utah that came while Artest was out with a right hip pointer for half of the period.
In his second game in purple, he was predicting a playoff appearance, a bold proclamation that seemed to raise the collective confidence. Then Artest went to work, putting a plan into action. Following the Delta Center debacle Friday - in which the Kings went 0 for 20 from the field in the fourth quarter and lost 89-79 - Artest called an impromptu team meeting after practice the next day. Even if he won't take credit.
Asked about the gathering, Artest said Mike Bibby and Corliss Williamson called it, though Williamson said, "That's just Ron being nice."
"It was mainly Ron's idea," Williamson said. "We all had things to say - Ron, Mike and myself. It was all about how we're going to approach the rest of the season."
Williamson, formerly the team spokesman on the topics of defense and toughness, is elated to have more like-minded company.
"I didn't know he had those leadership qualities," Williamson said. "And it was right off the bat. ... Ron wasn't afraid to step up and say what he felt or what he saw out there on the court. That's what you need. You want a leader, somebody out there to direct your team who's not afraid to lose."
Which Artest wasn't one day after the meeting, when he hobbled his way through a game against the Jazz at Arco Arena. It was, in essence, Artest walking the walk after talking the talk.
"You see a guy laying it on the line, and you respect that," said forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who has done the same since returning early from his broken jaw suffered Dec. 26. "You see guys sit out with minor injuries, things that they might have played through. And you never question a guy's injuries, but anytime you see a guy on the court in pain, laboring, you appreciate that."
Abdur-Rahim said Artest is already the most vocal player on a team full of quiet personalities. What's more, he has been eager to tutor guards Kevin Martin and Francisco García, with the youngsters lending an open ear every chance they get.
Brad Miller admitted Wednesday that Artest's presence has inspired a change in his own play. In the veteran's younger days, he and Artest were among the edgiest players in the league while playing together in Chicago and Indiana. On Tuesday, it was Miller's outrage and outburst against Memphis that sealed the Kings' win at Arco Arena, as he scored 12 consecutive fourth-quarter points and earned one technical foul for a flying elbow.
"My first full year in Indiana, we were (ranked) one and two (in flagrant fouls), so we've definitely got a rough side to us," Miller said of he and Artest.
"Sometimes someone has to get you back to that. He is a real strong personality. ... He just comes in and goes 120 percent right away, and it really rubs off on the other guys quickly."
Much like Reggie Miller rubbed off on Artest.
Artest credits the five-time All-Star for his leadership skills. The two played together from 2001 to 2005, when Miller retired after playing his entire 18-season career in Indiana.
"You watch Reggie Miller, play with that guy for four years, and you're going to pick up something," said Artest, who has averaged 17.5 points and 2.2 steals as a King. "All the stuff I learned from Reggie - why not tell the veterans and the rookies, and use it? If I see something, I just try to let people know what I see."
He did so from the start, beginning with the Boston debut in which Artest made a talking motion with his hands, imploring teammates to communicate more. He hasn't stopped since.
"We've got a lot of guys who lead by example," center Brian Skinner said. "But he came in, was vocal, and people listened to what he had to say. We support him, and he supports us."
