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Kings Notes: Artest downplays return to site of infamous brawl
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:23 am PST Saturday, January 20, 2007
John Green won't be there, which is a good start down the road to a peaceful evening.
The Detroit Pistons fan, whose beer toss was one of the many factors leading to the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl involving the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 19, 2004, has been banned from his favorite team's arena, not to mention convicted of misdemeanor assault.
There are no such restrictions in place for Ron Artest, who tonight will make his first return to the site of the brawl, even if so many Pistons fans wish he were the one with the lifetime ban.
"At times I've been excited about going back there to play well, given everything that happened, but it's not too big a deal," said Artest, who served a 72-game suspension for entering the stands and fighting with fans. "I suffered a lot, but it's over now, and I'm back playing now. When I look (back) at it, it's just a little small thing that happened in my life."
In the past week, Artest repeatedly has begged the question of what he would do if another fan decides to throw another cup of beer.
"I just don't think it'll happen again," Artest said. "I just can't see it."
As if the spotlight won't be bright enough, Artest featured a new haircut Friday, a Mohawk that surely will spark more heckles in the Motor City. That is, unless he's bald by today, which was the original plan.
"I just can't wait to get (the Mohawk) off," Artest said. "I've got to cut this off real fast. We were just playing around, me and Mike (Bibby)."
Artest actually returned to Detroit last summer to serve his community service and even attended a Tigers game.
While the return might be on the minds of the fans and media, Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups said it was a non-factor for the Pistons.
"I haven't even thought about that," Billups told the Detroit News. "I am not worried about that at all. It's ancient history. I am sure the fans have thought about it and are looking forward to it, but not us."
Gavin Maloof shoots back -- Furthering the he-said/he-said saga surrounding Kings point guard Jason Hart, team co-owner Gavin Maloof said Friday that Hart's agent, Bill Neff, did not call him or Joe Maloof to discuss his client's playing time, as Neff had told The Bee on Tuesday. Neff was quoted as saying, "I called them about a week or 10 days ago, and they haven't returned my call yet."
Not so, Gavin Maloof said.
"Unless he called the wrong number, I never received a message from him," Gavin said. "Neither did Joe. And I never had anybody tell me to call him back. I never got a call from him. I never did."
Gavin Maloof also took exception to Neff's insinuation that the team's owners might have been responsible for Hart's lack of playing time.
"Absolutely not," Maloof said when asked if he or Joe Maloof told coach Eric Musselman not to play Hart. "We never tell the coach what to do. The coach makes his own decisions. We're not coaches. We learned that a long time ago. We never told (former coach Rick) Adelman what to do, and we're not going to tell Musselman what to do. He's the coach. We don't know basketball."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
Kings Notes: Artest downplays return to site of infamous brawl
By Sam Amick - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 12:23 am PST Saturday, January 20, 2007
John Green won't be there, which is a good start down the road to a peaceful evening.
The Detroit Pistons fan, whose beer toss was one of the many factors leading to the infamous "Malice at the Palace" brawl involving the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 19, 2004, has been banned from his favorite team's arena, not to mention convicted of misdemeanor assault.
There are no such restrictions in place for Ron Artest, who tonight will make his first return to the site of the brawl, even if so many Pistons fans wish he were the one with the lifetime ban.
"At times I've been excited about going back there to play well, given everything that happened, but it's not too big a deal," said Artest, who served a 72-game suspension for entering the stands and fighting with fans. "I suffered a lot, but it's over now, and I'm back playing now. When I look (back) at it, it's just a little small thing that happened in my life."
In the past week, Artest repeatedly has begged the question of what he would do if another fan decides to throw another cup of beer.
"I just don't think it'll happen again," Artest said. "I just can't see it."
As if the spotlight won't be bright enough, Artest featured a new haircut Friday, a Mohawk that surely will spark more heckles in the Motor City. That is, unless he's bald by today, which was the original plan.
"I just can't wait to get (the Mohawk) off," Artest said. "I've got to cut this off real fast. We were just playing around, me and Mike (Bibby)."
Artest actually returned to Detroit last summer to serve his community service and even attended a Tigers game.
While the return might be on the minds of the fans and media, Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups said it was a non-factor for the Pistons.
"I haven't even thought about that," Billups told the Detroit News. "I am not worried about that at all. It's ancient history. I am sure the fans have thought about it and are looking forward to it, but not us."
Gavin Maloof shoots back -- Furthering the he-said/he-said saga surrounding Kings point guard Jason Hart, team co-owner Gavin Maloof said Friday that Hart's agent, Bill Neff, did not call him or Joe Maloof to discuss his client's playing time, as Neff had told The Bee on Tuesday. Neff was quoted as saying, "I called them about a week or 10 days ago, and they haven't returned my call yet."
Not so, Gavin Maloof said.
"Unless he called the wrong number, I never received a message from him," Gavin said. "Neither did Joe. And I never had anybody tell me to call him back. I never got a call from him. I never did."
Gavin Maloof also took exception to Neff's insinuation that the team's owners might have been responsible for Hart's lack of playing time.
"Absolutely not," Maloof said when asked if he or Joe Maloof told coach Eric Musselman not to play Hart. "We never tell the coach what to do. The coach makes his own decisions. We're not coaches. We learned that a long time ago. We never told (former coach Rick) Adelman what to do, and we're not going to tell Musselman what to do. He's the coach. We don't know basketball."
About the writer: The Bee's Sam Amick can be reached at samick@sacbee.com.
