http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9089647

Artest blindsides Pacers, says he wants fresh start elsewhere

In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, All-Star forward Ron Artest said he would like to be traded, a request that shocked the Indiana Pacers.

"I still think my past haunts me here," Artest said to the Star. "I think somewhere else I'm starting fresh. I'm coming in with baggage but people already know about it and how I'm going to be. Either they're going to be for me or they're not going to trade for me. Here I think my past haunts me.

"I think they will be a better team without me."

Artest feels he'd be better off elsewhere, too. Although he is the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, he said he is uncomfortable playing for Rick Carlisle and feels he could score more in another system -- which would allow him to earn a larger contract when his current deal expires in 2008.

"I'm so demanding of the ball. It's not my fault," he said. "Every time somebody is on me, it's a mismatch. It messes up the offense. I like Coach (Carlisle) as a person, but I don't like playing for Coach. I like my team, though.

"Don't get it twisted. He's a very good coach. He knows what he's doing. I personally don't like playing for him. I would not want to see him get fired for me after all the immaturity I've been through with this organization."

Artest is making $6.5 million this season, which is significantly less than most All-Stars. That means the Pacers would have difficulty getting a player of equal value in return for Artest, who said his ideal scenario is to be dealt to the New York Knicks. He also expressed an interest in going to Cleveland to back up LeBron James.

"Here I don't think I'm going to have a chance to maximize my opportunity for my potential," he said. "When I first got here, all I wanted to do was play defense. I never really cared about offense, but what I see is players like Kobe (Bryant), Tracy (McGrady), (Gilbert) Arenas and Jermaine (O'Neal) getting the opportunity to maximize their potential on the court and to get paid. I'm out of my character a little bit here.

"I don't think I'm going to maximize my opportunity just playing defense. I have to show I'm one of the premier players on offense on the wing. So when it's that time, there's no question what type of player I am."

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh was dismayed by Artest's comments, saying he had not previously expressed a desire to be traded.

"From here on out, I expect Ronnie to be a professional," Walsh said to the Star. "(This) isn't the best way to get a trade done."

Artest was inactive for the Pacers' win over Memphis on Saturday night, the second straight game he has missed because of a sore right wrist. Artest, who leads the NBA in steals, was hurt in a Thanksgiving night victory over Cleveland.

"I'm so demanding of the ball. It's not my fault."

Man, this guy never runs out of entertainment value, does he?

i'm sure he'd fit right in with the knicks.

Whatever happened to 'Fresh Prince?' Didn't he have Artest in his avatar?

thank god Larry Brown doesnt want anything to do with the idiot

Typically self centered player, what about playing for the team and helping the team to be better instead of going somewhere to get more shots.

Anyway, as if he will get more shots playing with LeBron.

His past will follow him everywhere he goes, leaving the Pacers doesn't change that.

i dont think his past is his fault


if anything i blame ben wallace for completely over-reacting to a hard foul

You don't blame him just a little for going into the stands?

he has such a well known past that it's going to follow him wherever he goes.

not really


if you were at work, and some yahoo through a drink on you, what would you do

and remember, hindsight is always 20-20

You act like people weren't saying he was an idiot when it happened. Hindsight has changed nothing in terms of people's perspective of the events that happened. He was an idiot for doing it then and he's an idiot for doing it now.

And BTW, if I was at WORK and somebody threw something at me, I might find somebody and tell them about it. That's it. You have to be the dumbest person alive to jeopardize an entire career because you're pissed off.

i do blame wallace for being an ass about everything, they were up by about 20 at that point.

but i do have to blame artest for not holding back.

Hm, are we going to rehash the huge deabet from this thread?

http://www.theskyiscrape.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2801

let's hope not. the more important issue here is how athletes 'demand' trades while on teams, and put coaches and management, and even teammates, in weird positions.

youre looking at it as a sports team, believe me, if something came along for artest that indy wanted, hed be gone in a heartbeat with no afterthought

I'm pretty sure that if I threw down with the dude that tossed a drink at me while I was on the clock, I'd get fired. Not fined. Not suspended. Fired. Artest's workplace is alot more lenient than mine in that respect.

Then again, I don't even think that comparing the NBA to an average workplace is very logical in the first place.

you could say that about any player in the leauge except for Lebron.

edit

come play for the hawks, we'll give you back Josh Childress and Al Harrington.

It would be awesome to get a lunatic down here, yeah sure he's crazy, but he plays like a mad man. The hawks can't get any worse.

the Knicks actually have enough attractive contracts/young players to make a decent offer, but I doubt Bird will trade him to Isiah.

Knicks could offer up expiring contracts like Anonio Davis and Penny Hardaway, and offer to take back Croshere or Bender (who's retiring anyway). Isiah won't trade Frye, but a guy like David Lee or Ariza might be attractive.