By 
Ron Artest is a polarizingfigure in today’s society. You either love him or hate him and with his recent admission to drinking alcohol during games, I am sure a lot of other people hate him even more, especially those Chicago Bulls fans. Artest stated that he used to drink alcohol before games while playing for the Chicago Bulls and that it was because he was young and famous and didn’t know how to handle the pressure of winning basketball games and being a role model to the youth of America. That was the Ron Artest of the past. Nowadays, he has grown up and frowns upon things that he has done during his storied past. He wants to let this bad side out so that others can see that he is not perfect and the young people of the world can learn what not to do. Ron Artest joined Carmichael Dave on KHTK in Sacramento to talk about him being media savvy and the recent story out on him, on women throwing themselves at athletes and society not realizing how many athletes commit adultery, why society chooses athletes as role models, and him drinking during basketball games.
On him being media savvy and the recent story out on him:
“The only thing that I didn’t like about today was, I think the story maybe coming out in a week or so… The only thing that was kind of bad about it was they didn’t state my purpose which was to me and John Green are going to do a stop the violence speech tour to show people that me and John had this big incident, the big incident way back when. I am not sure if you was around. We want to do something to show kids that you can become friends and you can go about your life in a different way. It was a big step for the book and that is the whole purpose that I have been telling people my testimony and telling people what I have been through and the mistakes that I have made in ways to overcome. I don’t want people to get that misconstrued if that even makes sense.”
On women throwing themselves at athletes and society not realizing how many athletes commit adultery:
“I think you can’t just blame the women though. You can’t just blame the women. I don’t think all women are just throwing themselves at athletes. That is wrong for people to even think that. It takes two because you can’t just blame the women…. I think it takes two and people make mistakes and I think sometimes people just don’t think. Nobody is perfect and I am not and I think it just goes to show you in life how many people messed up after a couple of years, one year or ten years that somebody will come out with a story like wow this guy was like that. Even that great story Andre Agassi came out with and that was a great testimony that he made and it goes to show you that he is not perfect and the only one that is perfect is Jesus you know that is it. I keep trying to tell people that. He is the only one that is perfect and the only that we can live is to continue to get better and to become better people for the youth and that is what I have been saying for a long time.”
On society choosing athletes as role models:
“I think that is why, I mean I am not perfect and I still make mistakes. There is a couple of things that I do. Even from an endorsement standpoint, I could have done a couple of car endorsements out here in L.A. I didn’t want to do it because it wasn’t a hybrid and I could have done a couple of commercials for some fast food restaurants because it is not healthy eating and I turned down a lot of money. I turned down a lot of money from a couple of sneaker companies a couple of years ago. Just to give you a number, I turned down a million dollars and $750,000 because I didn’t like the way the company was going. That helps me keep my sanity if I can stay true. For instance, I don’t want anybody to put me out there as this perfect guy. I really don’t want that because it is just not true and if something happens you got this fan that is like this kid thinks that Ron Artest is this perfect guy. If something happens now what is he supposed to turn to now? No, I am not perfect I make mistakes and continue to make mistakes and just learn and make your own decisions rather than saying I am just this god who is this perfect guy so I mean that is always something that happens with athletes…”
On him drinking at halftime:
“It wasn’t exactly halftime. It was so long ago and I would go out at night a lot and all of the stress that came with it between losing, with the fame, with taking care of everybody. I was not able to handle that success. I wasn’t able to handle that fame. I wasn’t able to handle being successful at the age of 19 so I would make a lot of mistakes. Honestly it wasn’t definitely at halftime it was probably before, but honestly I cant remember so I wont even sit here and say because I really can’t remember it because it was such a long time ago. But it was definitely something similar to that. That is why people don’t understand when I look up to a guy like LeBron James, even though those guys aren’t perfect, I look up to those guys. I look up to Dwayne Wade and even Dwight Howard because these guys were much more mature than me when I came into the league and I had kids you know… I was definitely not something to look up to in the NBA at the age of 19.”
On playing basketball after drinking:
“I tell you what, I don’t care what people say that it is definitely not something to be proud of at all. I don’t care what people say about it but it is not something to be proud of.”Listen to Ron Artest on KHTK in Sacramento with Carmichael DaveTags: drinking during basketball games, NBA, Ron Arest drinking Henessy at halftime, Ron Artest, Ron Artest is crazy, sorry for his past, wants to move on with his life, Will the NBA punish Ron Artest?
Comments