The Los Angeles Lakers opened their title defense in October basically returning the same roster they deployed in winning the 2009 NBA Championship. There was one glaring difference, however, at the Small Forward spot: gone was yeoman Trevor Ariza. In his place stood the hulking frame of Ron Artest, along with all the baggage that an enigma like him can bring.
From the beginning, there were concerns. Trevor Ariza was young, and last year, he seemed to find his place in the NBA when the lights were shining the brightest. On top of that, he was a team-first player that didn’t care about his stat line, but only cared about doing whatever the team needed him to do to win the ball-game. He was seen as a perfect role-player in the Lakers system.
When Ariza’s agent, David Lee, balked at the Lakers contract offer of the mid-level exception (5.6 million per year), the Lakers, (propelled by the Buss Family, more than Lakers management) were quick in their gobbling up of Artest. It was a masterstroke that David Lee never saw coming. Ariza ended up signing with Artest’s old team, the Houston Rockets, in what amounted to a de-facto trade for the two.
Gone was the humble UCLA product, and in came the pitbull who hailed from Queensbridge, New York.
Next: What Artest brought to the Lakers…
Much was made about Ron Artest’s infamy… indeed, he probably cost the Indiana Pacers a title when he rushed into the stands to brawl with a fan who threw a cup of beer on him. There was the time in Utah, where he taunted fans who were heckling him, and ended up almost killing Andre Kirelinko and getting tossed during a playoff game. He had clashed with teammates and coaches alike. He had been on four teams in his NBA career, and every stop seemed to end in debauchery. On top of that, the year before the Lakers signed him, Artest, then with the Rockets, was ejected from a play-off game after getting into it with Kobe Bryant and doing the “throat slash maneuver.” (Artest claims he was just reenacting the elbow that Kobe threw at him, and I agree with him).
I, personally, was never worried about Artest’s behavior. The Lakers are a strong organization, led by a coach that had as many rings as he has fingers, and led by the game’s alpha male–Kobe Bryant. He was also a former Defensive Player of the Year that could guard the Carmelo Anthony’s, LeBron James’, and the Paul Pierce’s of the world. People also seemed to forget that an Artest-led Houston Rockets team advanced out of the first round for the first time in the Tracy McGrady era and gave the eventual champion Lakers the toughest challenge in the 2008 play-offs.
However, there would be no give-backs. Artest was inked for five years, and if he went down in flames, he would be untradeable. The Lakers would be stuck with him, much like the Celtics are stuck with the ghost of Rasheed Wallace for the next two years.
While the Lakers stand three wins away from their 16th title and a repeat, Artest hasn’t been without his struggles. He has struggled with his shot (and his shot selection) at times this year. He has struggled with finding his role within the complicated Triple Post offense. He decided to drop 20 pounds during mid-season to regain some of his lateral quickness. He also admitted that he used to drink Hennessy cognac during halftimes of NBA games while he played with the Bulls. There was also the time he showed up in nothing but his boxers to do an interview with Jimmy Kimmel. There was also his Twitter rant against Phil Jackson during the play-offs. And with each misstep, the haters pointed and said, “See! I told you so!” as they eagerly awaited the “inevitable” Artest-led implosion of the Lakers.
Next: Avoiding expectations…
As unfair as it was to Ron, the only way the “trade” was ever going to be seen as a success was if the Lakers repeated. It’s hard enough to win a championship in this league, let alone win two back-to-back, but that’s what it was. And in the ides of March, with the Lakers looking sluggish before the play-offs, many began to re-open the Artest/Ariza debate. Bill Plaschke, the famous whiner for the Los Angeles Time, had this to say in a March tear session:
Ron Artest is barely raising an eyebrow. He hasn’t figured out the flow of the Lakers offense this season, he has sometimes seemed a step slow on defense, and he’s made little impact on the team’s toughness.
In a move engineered by the Buss family last summer, Artest was signed here from the Houston Rockets to replace Ariza, who then signed with Houston, after balking at the Lakers’ contract offer.
It is a move that some Lakers folks would now take back. It was a move that many of us thought should never have happened in the first place.
Kobe Bryant has traditionally hated teammates that couldn’t grasp the Triangle and messed up his precious spacing… something that Artest has done plenty of this season. But, Kobe calls Artest “one of his favorite teammates.” Why? Probably because Artest would walk through hell, fire, and brimstone to achieve victory for his team. I watched a lot of Lakers games this year, and not once, did I ever think “Ron Artest looks like he doesn’t give a damn tonight.” Not once. He was always out there working his backside off, whether it was against the Cleveland Cavaliers or the New Jersey Nets.
Because of Artest’s baggage and his perception, many laughed at the idea of Artest learning to play in a complimentary role. Artest has not only done that, but he has embraced it. He may be a little more out there than Ariza ever was, but he’s a more diverse player on the court, and along with Kobe Bryant, helps form the toughest perimeter defensive tandem in the league. I was never particularly good at handling a basketball, so I primarily always focused on defense, and as a fan of defense in general, it has been a thing of beauty watching those two scrap on a nightly basis. Artest has played with heart during every second he has worn the Forum Blue and Gold, and as fans, that’s all we can ask from our players.
Next: Making a difference…
It’s the heart that allowed Artest, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, after taking one of the most ill-advised three pointers in the history of the league (a shot, I admit, Ariza would have never have taken) to stay focused on the task at hand. Many players
would have curled into a ball and sulked on the sidelines after getting ripped by Phil Jackson. Instead? Artest was waiting in the wings, with the game–and perhaps the series–hanging in the balance–and when the Lakers biggest star came up short–there was Artest, more than ready to atone for his sins. That is mental toughness, the kind that champions have.
In 2008, the Lakers’ answer to the question, “Who’s sticking Paul Pierce tonight?” unfortunately, was “Vlad Radmonovic.” Ariza, despite returning from a broken foot for the series, always struggled against stronger athletes that could match his speed. The Lakers would have to take Kobe off of Rondo and Ray Allen to stick Pierce, and it just created all sorts of mismatches for the Celtics to exploit. The rest is history.
Game 1 of the 2010 Finals, however, was extremely different. “Ron Artest, former Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most feared players in the league” was the answer to “Who’s sticking Paul Pierce tonight?” And Artest’s game was basically a giant middle finger to the peanut gallery who thought he could never play a complimentary role.
Paul Pierce had 23 points, but it was probably the quietest 23 points I’ve ever seen. Twelve of those points came from free throws. Having an answer to Pierce allowed Kobe Bryant to concentrate on Rajon Rondo, and when Rondo is contained, the Celtics are extremely, extremely beatable.
The +/- stat is rather flawed, but it gives a very rough portrait to what happened when somebody was on the court. During Game 1, Artest was +26, the highest on the team. (Pierce was -13). Anytime something positive happened for the Lakers–there was Artest–his ungodly strong hands slapping at balls, forcing turnovers, making hustle plays, and generally frustrating the Celtics’ go-to scorer. It was the ultimate maestro game from Artest. A game in which every Celtics fan probably thought, “Dear God, we’re going to have to put out an APB for Pierce by Game 3. This will not end well.”
Next: On the verge of basketball immortality…
The Lakers, along with Artest, stand a mere three victories away from striking championship gold. It’s all Artest has ever wanted and the reason he came to LA. There were haters, there were doubters, but they will all be put to rest once the Celtics are sent back into mediocrity, where they’re destined to reside for the rest of their days.
It has been quite the journey for Artest, and I’m sure it would make a hell of a book. From watching a guy get stabbed to death with a table leg over a pick up game, to drinking Hennessy during half times, to brawling with NBA fans in Detroit(!), to being a key-cog for a NBA Champion? Truly fascinating.
Everybody has a place they want to get to. Some just take longer to get there. It’s those people, though, that end up appreciating the journey (and the result) that much more.
Ron Artest has found himself a home in Los Angeles, and really, that’s all I think he ever wanted. I think peace has finally found him.
Welcome home, TruWarrier. You’re among family now.
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