Good news! Prayers go out to Ron and his family.
Sacramento Bee: He says his daughter, Diamond, who continues receiving treatments for kidney cancer, is doing well. That’s great to hear. For all the criticism Artest has taken, anyone who has spent time around him knows him as a doting, loving, involved father.
Toughest defenders both on the same team? Makes Lakers scarier.
Daily Breeze: Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant were named the toughest defenders in the NBA in a poll of 173 players conducted by Sports Illustrated. Artest earned 42 percent of the votes and Bryant received 13 percent in results announced Tuesday.
Though it lived a short, yet meaningful life — Ron Artest’s blonde… err… golden, “Rodman style” hair has reached the end of it’s journey.
Ron’s hair peacefully shaved away sometime between yesterday’s loss in Orlando to today’s team practice in El Segundo. But don’t mourn too much; “defense” still remains on his head (and hopefully still on his mind), in three different languages. None of which are in English.
If you’re wondering what Ron looks like with his newly shaved head, here’s a picture courtesy of Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell
So… in memoriam…
Rondman Cut
March 6, 2010 – March, 2010
At least he looked good, just not his night though.
L.A. Times: Kobe Bryant was late for Sunday’s pregame activities, but Ron Artest arrived on time, with a new blond dye job and several inscriptions in his hair.
He etched the word “defense” in three languages — Japanese, Hebrew and Hindi, he said.
In plain English, however, his defense was poor Sunday against the Orlando Magic.
Continue reading ‘Despite new hairstyle, Ron’s defense didn’t cut it’
So Ron Artest interacted with his fans on twitter and donned this specialized hair style during the game against the Magic.
Despite the loss, you have to admire his uncanny hairstyle and a potential way to draw in energy to the Lakers.
His hair consisted of a Laker gold color, with “DEFENSE” inscribed around his head in three different languages.
The Lakers lost to the Magic but played inspired basketball, including a tough resiliency down to the last missed shot.
What are your thoughts on Rodman’s Artest’s hair?
Ron might color his hair purple tomorrow. Let him know your answer via twitter!
Twitter: Shin Shin wants my hair purple/gold for tomorrows game vs Magic! Leave a message on ronartest.com section Talk To Ron if you think I should!
More hand injuries? Great!
ESPN: It’s been a story of all hands on wreck for the Lakers this year and Ron Artest is the latest player for Los Angeles to come down with a finger injury.
Artest sprained the thumb on his left hand in the third quarter of the Lakers’ game in Miami on Thursday. He played on Friday against the Bobcats with the thumb wrapped heavily in the same fashion that reserve guard Shannon Brown has on his right thumb after spraining it while blocking a shot in the second half against Indiana on Tuesday.
Artest also sprained the index finger on his right hand on Jan. 12 in a game in San Antonio.
“We’ve had a series of hand injuries,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before Friday’s game. “It seems to be a hand-injury year. It started off with Kobe [Bryant's], then Pau [Gasol's], and ultimately we’ve had a rash of them with Jordan [Farmar], Shannon and then Ron last night.
Ron is gaining confidence and that is going to be much needed in the playoffs!
O.C. Register: Ron Artest was wondering out loud about what kind of numbers Dwyane Wade wound up with against Artest and the Lakers on Thursday night. So I offered Artest the box score I had in my hand.
He took it and studied it, and even though Wade’s season-high 14 assists stood out, that 9-for-21 shooting and those six turnovers weren’t too pretty. So it was odd that Artest ended up making a gruff, unhappy noise before dumping the box score inside his locker, smiling a little with some embarrassment.
Artest was actually dissatisfied to see that he had failed to get a single rebound in his 44:52 to playing time. That’s what prompted him to grunt in dismay.
Overall, though, Artest sang a pretty cheerful note, even though the Lakers lost. He has an incredible 16 steals in his past three games against Carmelo Anthony, Danny Granger and Dwyane Wade. (Artest played a few shifts guarding Quentin Richardson but spent nearly his entire Thursday night on Wade.) Artest expressed excitement about just how quick he’s feeling post-plantar fasciitis and at a lighter weight suggested by Lakers trainer Gary Vitti.
“I’m feeling really good; I feel really, really positive,” Artest said. “I’m just happy that my feet are moving.”
He got left behind a few times by Wade, but Artest noted: “Not everybody’s Dwyane.” Artest suggested that if he could hang this well with Wade, imagine what he will do as the season moves on against anyone “who is not as quick.”
“Beware,” Artest said. “To everybody, beware.”
What influenced Artest to lose weight? The fact that he could become a better defender… that and Gary Vitti.
O.C. Register: As if Lakers trainer Gary Vitti wasn’t doing enough in building Kobe Bryant’s bionic index finger and selling Jerry Buss on the need to insure Andrew Bynum’s fragile knees by re-signing Lamar Odom, now we can credit Vitti for colossal midseason improvement in the Lakers’ team defense.
It was Vitti who suggested to Ron Artest that he lose some weight.
Artest took the advice – and took it to his customary maniacal lengths, going to jog at 2 or 3 a.m. some nights to make sure it happened. Not only has the lighter load at 255 pounds eased Artest’s plantar fascia pain, it logically has enabled those feet to move far faster than early in the season, when he peaked at 268.
Since the All-Star break, Artest has been a titan for the Lakers on defense, bringing back his original calling card and making it look like it could be the Lakers’ trump card this season.
“Getting back to how I know how to play,” Artest said Tuesday night after throttling Indiana’s Danny Granger in the Lakers’ victory.
The old Artest is who he expects to be come playoff time, when he plans to be down to 250 pounds. Yet in another sense, Artest wants to give the Lakers a new Artest.
Continue reading ‘Ron Artest’s goal: Become an all time great defender’
Ron named a dirty player? Its called defense people, get it right!
L.A. Times: A Sports Illustrated poll of 173 NBA players called Lakers forward Ron Artest the second dirtiest player in the league, behind only Toronto forward Reggie Evans.
When told about it, Artest paused and thought about the question before he answered.
“I’m just aggressive,” he said. “I don’t know. I guess when I hit people, yeah, they feel it. But I don’t think I’m dirty. I just think I just use my body.”
Well, Artest was told, he doesn’t really hit people.
“It’s like a hit,” Artest responded. “But it’s not really a hit.”
Artest received 13% of the vote while Evans received 21%.
Kobe Bryant also made the list, finishing fifth with 4% of the vote. Sacramento forward Andres Nocioni was third with 6% and Cleveland forward-center Anderson Varejao was fourth with 5%.
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