Some quotes for Artest's agent...

[Revrag]

Artest’s agent, Mark Stevens, told ESPN that Artest has never wanted to play for the Kings. Stevens said Artest made his trade request public on Dec. 10 only after he thought he was about to be sent to Sacramento.

“Ron Artest did not want to be traded to Sacramento weeks ago, and he does not want to be traded to Sacramento now,” Stevens said.

“Basketball is Ron Artest’s passion. In order for Ron to fully demonstrate his natural skills and abilities, to the best of his abilities, he not only must be in an environment that is conducive to his growth an development as a player, he must also ensure that his family is happy and content as well. Ron does not believe that will be the case if he were in Sacramento. Period.”

 

[DocHolliday]

And Artest also said that if a trade happens that he doesn't agree with he will be a professional, suit up and play. That's all I care about. Webber had very similar sentiments when we traded for him. So, all i have to say is:

Get your *** on the court and play Ron.

 

[vj9999]

Webber was not bipolar. (no disrespect to bipolar people)

 

[Revrag]

I guess my question is; is this just the insanity that is Artest or have the Kings fallen back to the point where we were before Webber got here in less than a year? Webber didn't want to come here because we sucked. The last few years we've been touted as a place players WANT to come play. Great owners, great management, great fans, great chemistry. Is that still the case?

 

[DeAtHrOw]

I guess my question is; is this just the insanity that is Artest or have the Kings fallen back to the point where we were before Webber got here in less than a year? Webber didn't want to come here because we sucked. The last few years we've been touted as a place players WANT to come play. Great owners, great management, great fans, great chemistry. Is that still the case?

Insanity.

 

[DocHolliday]

Sacramento is sitll a small market and will always will be somewhat undesirable for that reason.

 

[VF21]

And Artest also said that if a trade happens that he doesn't agree with he will be a professional, suit up and play. That's all I care about. Webber had very similar sentiments when we traded for him. So, all i have to say is:

Get your *** on the court and play Ron.

Again with the comparison to Webber? If you're going to insist on comparing Ron Artest to another professional athlete, try Terrell Owens. He's ruined two franchises, a record I'm sure Artest could emulate.

Webber may have initially expressed reservations about coming to Sacramento but he was not sitting INACTIVE at the time, drawing a salary from a team he had stabbed repeatedly in the back. Webber has NOT made a habit of bad acts while in the uniform of the team paying his salary. Webber did NOT, even after the trade, badmouth Sacramento or the Kings or the fans. Artest has done so many things that put him separate and apart from sane individuals that it's almost impossible to keep count.

Pandering to this individual is tantamount to giving your sister away to the neighborhood bully in the hopes he'll protect you, IMHO. I don't think he's worth it and I think the whole league will think less of the Maloofs and this organization if they do go to him on bended knee and convince him to grace us with his august presence.

Winning isn't everything. At some point, you have to decide if you're willing to throw all your principles out the window. And at what price? What message does this send to the other players, the ones who have done their job day in and day out, even though we might have been critical of them?

Sorry, Doc, but you're comparing apples and cellophane.

 

[kennadog]

Sacramento is sitll a small market and will always will be somewhat undesirable for that reason.

So most players wouldn't want to go to San Antonio?

 

[FullAB]

Sacramento is sitll a small market and will always will be somewhat undesirable for that reason.

Isn't Indianapolis considered a small market also?

 

[DocHolliday]

Again with the comparison to Webber? If you're going to insist on comparing Ron Artest to another professional athlete, try Terrell Owens. He's ruined two franchises, a record I'm sure Artest could emulate.

Webber may have initially expressed reservations about coming to Sacramento but he was not sitting INACTIVE at the time, drawing a salary from a team he had stabbed repeatedly in the back. Webber has NOT made a habit of bad acts while in the uniform of the team paying his salary. Webber did NOT, even after the trade, badmouth Sacramento or the Kings or the fans. Artest has done so many things that put him separate and apart from sane individuals that it's almost impossible to keep count.

Pandering to this individual is tantamount to giving your sister away to the neighborhood bully in the hopes he'll protect you, IMHO. I don't think he's worth it and I think the whole league will think less of the Maloofs and this organization if they do go to him on bended knee and convince him to grace us with his august presence.

Winning isn't everything. At some point, you have to decide if you're willing to throw all your principles out the window. And at what price? What message does this send to the other players, the ones who have done their job day in and day out, even though we might have been critical of them?

Sorry, Doc, but you're comparing apples and cellophane.

Person after person on the radio last night, and the radio personalities themselves have compared this to Webber. I'm not on my own here. Sorry. EVeryone I've talked to personally as well Webber made similar statements. On this site you're trying to compare the person, the time of the season etc., to contradict what I'm saying. I'm saying on the situation alone Webber said he did not want to com here, and he would not play for the Kings. The end.

You don't have to agree with me, that's fine, but I am no where near alone in my opinion.

 

[DocHolliday]

Isn't Indianapolis considered a small market also?

And he didn't want to play there either. What was his first choice?? Do you remember? He wants to go to New York. Hmm....biggest market out there?? YEP!!. Unfortunately for Ron the Knicks don't have any pieces that ANYBODY wants.

 

[kennadog]

And he didn't want to play there either. What was his first choice?? Do you remember? He wants to go to New York. Hmm....biggest market out there?? YEP!!. Unfortunately for Ron the Knicks don't have any pieces that ANYBODY wants.

Then he shouldn't have screwed up in Chicago...or wasn't that a big enough market either.

 

[BLNINJA #81]

Then he shouldn't have screwed up in Chicago...or wasn't that a big enough market either.

This smells of agent all over it for personal gain. Too bad Ron may not be smart enough to realize this.

 

[mcsluggo]

Sacramento as a location is not a draw to very many players, its a "cow-town", remember. ARCO arena does very little to dispell this feeling, out in the fields.

As someone who isn't from the area (I lived in Davis for several years, though) I've gotta say Sac doesn't jump out as appealing to very many who visit. It has some nice neighborhoods (mostly mid-town), but you have to find them, they don't find you. The downtown has a really dying feel to it, and the vast majority of SAC is just miles upon miles upon miles of really un-appealing sprawl.

ALL cities have unappealing sprawl, but Sac has even less cohesivness to the sprawl than usual because there just ain't much of a center to hold it together.

Sac just ain't gonna win you over at first glance, the way some cities will; Sac seems to have many of the shortcomings of big city life, while missing out on many of the big city draws, while at the same time it seems to miss out on much of the charm of of smaller cities.

Once you are there for a while, you figure out where the charm is, but don't expect the city to be anything but a negative for outsiders viewing it from the snapshot lens.

 

[PFFFT!!]

How could a guy that insane have "passion" for b-ball? If he did it wouldn't matter where he played, in Siberia or Uganda for that matter, so long as he played the game competively. Go figure. Hes clueless.

 

[love_them_kings]

And he didn't want to play there either. What was his first choice?? Do you remember? He wants to go to New York. Hmm....biggest market out there?? YEP!!. Unfortunately for Ron the Knicks don't have any pieces that ANYBODY wants.

Right, and look at the result of Artest playing somewhere he doesn't want to go. You want to compare him to Webb because they both didn't want to come to Sac? Let's compare. Webb didn't want to come here, he didn't show up for training camp until his dad told him to get his *ss in gear & report. Then he showed up, played his heart out, and gave 100% every time he put on a uniform. Artest didn't want to go to the Pacers, and look what it got them... a whole lot of trouble. If Artest had 2% of the class CWebb has I'd say let's take him and hope for the best. Unfortunately that's not the case.

 

[Indianapolis King]

And he didn't want to play there either. What was his first choice?? Do you remember? He wants to go to New York. Hmm....biggest market out there?? YEP!!. Unfortunately for Ron the Knicks don't have any pieces that ANYBODY wants.

He wants NY for one reason--Isaiah the snake. Thomas always pandered to RA here in Indy and is just he kind of boss RA likes--one that doesn't make anyone do anything.

 

[DocHolliday]

Well they say Rick is a players coach. Not super tough. He may be ok with that.

 

[tubiscus]

I guess my question is; is this just the insanity that is Artest or have the Kings fallen back to the point where we were before Webber got here in less than a year? Webber didn't want to come here because we sucked. The last few years we've been touted as a place players WANT to come play. Great owners, great management, great fans, great chemistry. Is that still the case?

In a word, "NO". This reminds me of the "self-destruction" of the 49ers in the late 90's. Owner panics presses managment to make short term moves (that failed miserably) and the wheels fell off.

I'm again appalled by the "Classy" organization showing its' behind by treating Peja like a sack of potatoes. There's a "classy" way to handle things and there's the Maloof's (Vegas) method that thinks a new paint job makes a clunker a classic. I'd bet even Barnabas Cuban meets with players and briefs them about trade discussions, so they don't learn about it on TV.

Unfortunately its' a recurring theme. (Phil overtures, Webber deal, corny "Gold Standard" theme, payroll issues that forced too many valuable role players to leave, i.e. Jim Jackson, Peeler, Eddie House, Songaila), and now publicly grovelling to the dung heep that is Mark Stevens and Artest to obtain his services after he and his paid mouthpiece publicly insult the team and the city. Unfortunately, and it breaks my heart to say this, the Kings are circling the bowl. An Artest meltdown will most likely be the last straw with many fans.

end of sermon......