Artest is the type of player we need in NY, I agree, he has the attitude about defense and playing hard we lack. But his personal issues bug me too much.
The team we have assembled??? WHat did they ever do, Curry, he's a good young guy, marbury, a little eccentric, but he's clean as a wistle, big bad david lee? Jamaal the crusher crawford? nate Robinson(nothing wrong with a little flash) Q-rich???Balkman?oooh, maybe you mean malicious malik rose? or jagged jarred jefferies? Jerome james?? Yeah some of these guys have attitude, and they have scuffled on court, with other basketball players. But thats not what i don't like about Artest, i don't like him charging after a fan, I don't like that he doesn't own up to it. I don't like that he stated he could use the time off during suspension, to promote an album, almost as if the nba was doing him a favor. I don't like the fact that he doesn't understand the line. There is a line you shouldn't cross, and he hasn't got a clue.
As for as players from the past, besides sprewell, choking the coach, and mason molesting a young lady, what did any of the other guys(ewing, oakely, LJ, Starks, Houston, ward,marbury, bernard king? walt frasier?) do that involved attacking someone who wasn't playing professional basketball against you. Those guys were tough guys, but they didn't attack fans. They were tough and didn't take any thing from anyone on court, but never charged into the stands to beat up a little guy. they fought with other NBA players of equal size or physical condition, not some short pudgy white guy. They never crossed that line. and even sprewell, choking the coach, at least it wasn't some nobody in the stands. I think sprewell has been in family trouble this past year, holding his kids hostage and threatening his wife., But he's twice as stable as artest. and none of that was with NY.Choking before and child hostage/wife threatening after.
Also I'm not saying that doing those things (smoking, drinking, and hanging at strip clubs and clubs) make you a bad guy. DWI(from drinking and drugs)Fighting(in clubs), carrying illegal guns, beating fans or people/bouncers in clubs, molesting women (at strip clubs or other places), living in another world as far as reality goes makes you a bad guy. Guys who want to get into dealing and buy tons of drugs, when they make hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars playing a sport, make them retarded and bad people. Are those the role models you want your family seeing on TV? Ewing, starks, oakley, even sprewell, with the knicks, never did anything like beat a fan. Sprewell apologized for the choking, artest, read some crazy statment and was like, this suspension gives me some time to pursue my rap career?!?!!? He was like, this is great, a vacation!!!?? He's nuts. He acts like he's the victim of the media, the media didn't beat that guy, he did. Steroids and drugs, guns, fighting, DWI's, all illegal activities which could include jail time and or suspensions, that would keep your precious head case from walking through those doors at MSG. They can keep him off the court. Or say million dollar ron is hanging in his old neighborhood, on the corner and some real thugs come up and mess with him and his boys, do you think he walks away? or gets in the brawl, that could end with him being shot, stabbed, or injured, say broken hand from punching someone, maybe arrested. What happened to Marbury, when he went back to Coney island wearing his bling bling, he was robbed at gun point, Artest not being all there, may not back down to a gun/knife totting attacker. I'm not saying it will be his fault, but when you put yourself in places where bad situations often occur, keeping it real, your gonna find yourself in a bad situation. Maybe even deadly. My whole point is that these behaviors lead to him not being able to walk through the doors on game night and perform. You can't play if your in hospital or jail.
You don't have to ditch everyone, you can bring them along, just not old habits, not illegal activities, that could affect your career. getting arrested, isn't cool. It isn't tough, it is stupid. Being a millionare and participating in illegal activities in public eye, ie...driving around, out at a club. whatever. You want strippers, your a millionare, rent out the place for the night, don't go in there and fight with the other clowns. Have some strippers come to your house, pay an independant security guy as a witness, so she doesn't accuse you of anything. You want to go out on the town, fine, take a cab/limo, don't drive around. Leave the guns/weapons at home. If you want to get high, oh well, do it at home. then go out...again don't drive, pay a friend to be the designated driver, or hire a pro. Hanging in the hood, leave the bling at home, jealousy, causes problems. There are a ton of talented atheletes who manage not to get arrested, not to get into trouble, who keep good friends. thats what i want, a higher standard. You are in the public eye, be responsible, you have the privellage to play a game for a living, i think you can keep things legal. If some guy in a club is giving you crap, speak to the bouncers and staff. I just don't think artest has the ability to keep himself out of major trouble. Trouble which could keep him from playing. Have you ever listend to interviews with this guy? he's nuts! He lives in RONNIE land. He's delusional. WHy would you want that? Representing NY. People all over say New Yorkers are rude, unfriendly and that NY isn't safe, why not have a guy who can represent the city, that we can be proud of. That helps us have a good rep. A class acts like JETER, WRIGHT, REYES, HOUSTON, WARD, EWING, OAKELY, MARBURY, STRAHAN, CURTIS MARTIN. Marbury is no angel, he's a little crazy sometimes, but he doesn't get into illegal troubles. I don't think artest can do the same, he lives in an alternate reality.
Plus if you think the media had twisted him into a villian at indiana or Sac-town, wait till he faces the media heat when he plays here. they'll be all over him like white on rice.