Pivot Points: Ron Artest and His (Not So Crazy) World

I'm sure there are more than a few people that are waiting for the point in the season when Los Angeles Laker forward Ron Artest will combust, and foil any hope the Lakers have of a repeat.

The notion that Artest is a ticking time bomb has been embedded in observers' minds for so long that they are almost convinced that this is a certainty.

I would say to them don't believe the hype, because although Artest has his quirks he is miles from being the psycho that everyone thinks he is.

Artest grew up in the Queesnsbridge housing development, which is one of the largest government-subsidized projects on earth. There is nothing that I could say to describe the hopelessness and degradation that environment fostered.

To get a feel for the conditions listen to Rapper Nas's first classic album, Illmatic, and you will come away with a picture of despair and grim realism that is impossible for our minds to fathom.

It was from these conditions Artest was spawned, and it was from this misery that Artest gained his familiar edge.

His father was a boxer, and he instilled in Ron his fighter's mentality, and the brutal lessons that come with settling disputes physically.

It was a lesson learned because as a child Artest was involved in frequent altercations that sometimes stemmed from his volatile temper.

When Ron discovered basketball it seemed to focus him, and he found that the sport was a great diversion for him to get lost in. He immersed himself and developed into one of the greatest players in New York City history.

The first time I realized he would be special was in a game against Duke in Madison Square Garden. Artest was a sophomore at St. John's university, and his all-around game commanded attention.

He was one of the most versatile players I had ever seen, and he left his imprint on every facet of that game. Offensively he scored from the perimeter and the post, and seemed to be unstoppable when getting position in the paint.

Defense though, is where he shined, showing an understanding for defensive technique, and philosophy that was far beyond his years. He approached that end with the precision of a mathematician, and it was no surprise to later learn that was his major.

When Artest was drafted, he immediately became an asset on both sides of the floor, and his potential seemed unlimited. He was considered a sometimes moody player that had weird quirks, and was unafraid to speak his mind.

Everyone's opinion of Ron changed on November 11, 2004. That date will forever be notched in NBA notoriety, as the evening one of the biggest brawls in league history took place.

Artest's Indiana Pacers squad were playing the Detroit Pistons in the seventh game of the season. Ron's Pacer's were blowing the Pistons out, when the play in question happened.

Artest delivered a hard foul to Pistons' center Ben Wallace, and Wallace acted violently as a response to something he thought was dirty. There was no malice in the play, it was just a hard foul.

Artest, any other time would have taken Wallace up on his challenge, but this time he chose to remove himself from the situation and proceeded to lay down on the scorer's table.

What happened next was replayed over and over for the world to see. A cup full of beer careens out of the stands and strikes Artest in his face, and faced with this provocation Artest rushed the stands and a melee ensued.

I must take a moment to reflect on his reaction and the significance we share in this, both real and understood.

Artest is a member of the species homo-erectus, and being a member of this clan, he is instilled with certain natural mechanisms, one being a defense mechanism that is triggered when we feel threatened.

Imagine in your own world what your response would be if unprovoked, you were struck by a beer, a fist or any other object of mayhem. What would your reaction be?

The majority of humans would probably turn the other cheek or try to find a reasonable solution to the conflict. There are a small percentage of us however, that would react violently out of instinct.

I, unfortunately, have belonged to the latter clan at times and I realize that two wrongs don't equal a right, but why should I suffer at the hands of another's indiscretions?

There were numerous suspensions handed out in the aftermath, and Artest's was among the worst in history. He was suspended for the entire season without pay, which ended up being 75 games.

That incident has defined Artest's career and garnered him the label of a bonafide psycho. It doesn't matter that he hasn't been in any real trouble since then, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Artest has bounced around the league since that incident, but seems to have found a home in Los Angeles. His fondness for the Lakers was something he made known before his move from Sacramento to Houston.

Laker coach Phil Jackson has experience dealing with some of the most dominant, bizarre, and downright weird personalities that the game has ever seen.

It's telling when he says that Ron is misunderstood sometimes because his honesty compels him to say whatever is on his mind. He even goes as far to say that Artest being a problem is more a media concern than the team's.

Artest has remained balanced and on an even-keel, for the most part but the specter of him being a major distraction still hangs over his head. 

He knows that if he can be a part of the Lakers' repeat effort, it would go a long way towards dispelling the demons that have been following him throughout his career.

He is an important part to the Lakers' aspirations and success in this venture might allow him to prove that maybe he's not that crazy at all.