<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">When the NBA season starts in another six weeks, Artest promises to do his best to keep his focus on basketball and to stay away from fighting hostile crowds. His return from a record suspension will be a big story, but never bigger than when he plays in Auburn Hills for the first time since last season's brawl to end all brawls. Although the league would like to forget that the melee ever happened, the Feb. 23 game between Indiana and Detroit will be nationally televised. "That took a lot out of my career," said Artest, who lost nearly $6.5 million in salary when he was banished from the Pacers' final 73 regular-season games and 13 playoff games. "So obviously, something like that can't happen again. It just can't happen again." Artest was told exactly that, in no uncertain terms, when he met with Stern this summer and was cleared to resume his career. "Our meeting went very well," Artest said. "I came out thinking, 'great, I'm back into it.' I understand what I have to do - keep focused on basketball." So what happens if some knucklehead tries to start something with Artest this season? "Ain't nobody going to throw a beer at me," he said. "As long as I don't get hurt, I'll be fine. If somebody throws something, as long as I don't get hurt, I'll be fine. I'll be able to deal with it. The main thing is to stay focused on the team and the basketball." </div> Source
I think that this past season of suspension might have finally knocked some sense into Artest. He is saying all the right things, but that's essentially what he has been doing every summer after a previous season of bad conduct. Hopefully, Artest will stay true to his words this time and focus only on basketball and keep his emotions in check.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. Ron Artest is crazy, and if he says he's going to behave, I'll believe it when I see it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting RuN WiT iT:</div><div class="quote_post">^ lives upstate in a mansion.</div> lmao man. lmao. I want to see Ronny on offense this season. I heard he's been working hard on his jumper.
