Le Basketbawl

In each person’s life we all have regrets about things that we have done that we know we should not have. Then we have to deal with the consequences of our actions. You have one of two choices when that happens. You can resolve the situation and get on with the rest of your life. Or you can take the other road and just walk away from the situation. Now that situation never gets fixed and like an infected wound it just festers and gets worse. And the longer you wait to resolve it the harder it then becomes for everything to end up nice and tidy to every one’s satisfaction.

In New York Vinnie’s opinion it takes a big man to admit when they are wrong; and that is why when ever I am proven wrong about an article I wrote I always admit the error. In New York Vinnie’s mind if that did not happen then I would have absolutely no credibility! So New York Vinnie will crow about something when I call it right. However New York Vinnie is also the first to admit when the facts prove me wrong. Too many Frickin people try to pass the buck or push the blame elsewhere. Those people in New York Vinnie’s mind have zero credibility!

The reason that is being brought up is that New York Vinnie just gained a whole lot of respect for Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest. On Monday “CBS SPORTS.com“ printed an interview with the veteran as his team gets ready to take on the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals this Thursday. Although Artest talked some about being on the Lakers and getting ready to take on Boston. However the part of the conversation that truly interested New York Vinnie was when Artest talked about his days playing for the Indiana Pacers.

It was back in 2004 when Artest and his teammates got involved in “The Malice At The Palace“ as a riot broke out during a game between the Pacers and their hosts the Detroit Pistons. To summarize things a Detroit fan poured a beer on Artest which prompted he and teammate Stephen Jackson to go into the stands and start wailing on some fans. Artest would be suspended for the rest of the season and for a while he was the poster child for all that was wrong with the NBA.

The following season instead of being grateful that the Pacers would take him back on the roster after a 73 game suspension; Artest demanded to be traded. The Lakers forward during the interview admitted that not only leaving the Pacers but in the manner in which he did it are the biggest regrets of his career in the NBA. And he also regrets leaving former teammates such as Reggie Miller, Jamaal Tinsley, Jermaine O’Neal and Jackson in the lurch.

Artest told the reporter “The biggest regret of my life, really, is bailing out on that Pacer team. I mean, outside not going to church every single Sunday, bailing out on that Pacer team is my biggest regret. Every time I see Jermaine, every time I see Steve and Jamaal … I get a little bit of a feeling when I see Bird, because he was such a great player and I respect him so much. So I get that feeling when I see Bird. I feel like a coward. I feel like I don’t even belong in their presence, really. When I saw Jermaine, I felt like I didn’t even belong in the same room as him. I felt like a coward. I don’t like feeling like a coward, and I feel like a coward. That’s the biggest regret of my life. Steve Jackson, Jermaine, Jamaal, even Jeff (Foster); a blue-collar guy like him, put his life on the line for us on the court, and I totally disrespected him. And of course Reggie. I was in a position to win a championship, Reggie was in position, and I bailed out on Reggie. I feel like a coward. A big-time coward. It’s hard for me to even speak to them, hard for me to see them.”

The Pacers had won 61 games the season before Artest was suspended and were looked at as an elite team in the Eastern Conference and the entire NBA.  They of course took a major step backwards the year that Artest pulled his stunt but were expected to come back and be contenders again with the forward’s return to the squad. But he never came back.

New York Vinnie has to give Artest his propers as his admission of doing wrong makes me respect him more. Artest still has other issues to clear up such as his exit from the Sacramento Kings; but you have to start somewhere if you catch New York Vinnie’s drift.

Can a leopard change their spots? Can an old dog learn new tricks? Or is what an old friend of New York Vinnie’s correct with his philosophy of “Once A Douche Always A Douche“? As The NBA preseason starts to wrap up and the regular season opens early next week the reports out of the Los Angeles Lakers training camp have been nothing but positive about their new forward Ron Artest. “Tru-Warrior” signed as a Free Agent with the Lakers this past summer and so far everything seems to be running smoothly. The question though is how long will we see the new “mellow version” of Ron Artest?

New York Vinnie has told you repeatedly that there is no question about what Artest can do on the floor. The question that comes into play is his mind-set; his attitude. Artest can go from incredibly charming to a Frickin Pud in not time at all. And there does not always seem to be a rhyme or a reason behind it.

“Tru-Warrior” spoke with the Boston Globe recently and blamed his problems the last couple of seasons on himself. However he did say there was a qualifier behind that admission. The NBA veteran said “Playing for a team that has chances to win again is really encouraging. The last couple of years I was a very bad teammate. It was all me. It had nothing to do with the teams I played on. I just had a big ego and had to control it and now I’m able to control it. I still have an ego, but now I kind of have fun with it. That’s the difference now.”

Okay New York Vinnie will give Artest his propers for what he said. It takes some pretty big stones to admit you were a lousy teammate! To admit that you have played selfishly; and that it has been all about you. New York Vinnie also understands; although I disagree that playing on a losing team can effect your attitude. Yo Ron, there is such a thing as pride and Frickin self respect. New York Vinnie has never allowed others to bring me down. To New York Vinnie that is nothing but a Frickin excuse; but other players have been the same way over the years.

The Sacramento Kings are a Crapolla team; but that is not where “Tru-Warrior” played last season. Artest forced the Kings to trade him to the Houston Rockets a team that made it to the Western Conference Semi-Finals. So Ron your Frickin excuse does not work for last season. Why were you a bad teammate then? Why did you go out of your way to Frickin rip the Rockets after you signed with the Lakers?

Artest told the paper that his new philosophy this season will keep the Frickin demons from his door. The forward said “I was talking to my sports psychologist and I was trying to figure out a way to stay together, not put a lot of pressure on myself. When I got here, I thought it was going to be on me. Before I met everybody, I felt I really had to do it. Now that I have been around the organization and team, I realize that we’re going to do this together. Always have fun but stay hungry. Find that balance.”

Okay Ron you are saying that when you first signed with the reigning NBA Champions the Los Angeles Lakers that you thought the most pressure would be on you? Maybe you have heard of your teammate Kobe Bryant who won the NBA MVP two seasons ago and has won four NBA Titles without you? How about all the guys that remain from that team that want to win back to back titles? Do you think maybe anyof these guys have a more legitimate reason to “feel pressure” than you do?

See Ron; the way New York Vinnie perceives things it is all still all about YOU this season. As it has been since you came into the NBA.  New York Vinnie knows you are going to explode My Man; the only questions are when and how hard?

Back on July 4, 1776 a fledgling nation decided to declare independence from the country that controlled it. After a long and bloody battle we established a democratic republic that we named the United States of America. Our ancestors came up with a system of one man one vote so that we would elect our own leaders and not be like the country we would break away from England which was ruled by royalty.

We fast forward 333 years to the present day USA and we still are electing our government leaders via a democratic process. So that means we have no Royalty here in the USA correct? Both you and New York Vinnie know better than that; we do have Royalty here in America in 2009. They are our Movie stars, our Rock and R&B stars, and our Professional athletes. We Americans love our Royalty and we fill their heads and egos with praise and their pockets with money. They get paid handsomely for things that most of us would gladly do for free; entertain the public.

As in all other areas of our society there are good and bad people in these professions. There are are many Actors and Actresses that support meaningful causes and use their celebrity to try to get others to follow their examples. Others are spoiled little babies that put up a hissy-fit if everything does not go their way. We have Recording Artists who use their status to help the world guys like Bono and Neil Young to just skim the surface.

Our Professional Athletes are the same way; you have talented players like D-Howard, Chris Paul and Brandon Roy who do great things on the hardwood and in the community. And then of course you have the PUDS like Stephen Jackson, Stephon Marbury, Allen Iverson and Ron Artest. Guys who who bring great talent to the game but are nothing but a constant headache for the teams they play for.

Players like that have what is known as a “Sense Of Entitlement” a feeling that just because they can perform these amazing athletic feats it puts them on a higher level than the rest of society. Who is to blame for these men thinking that they can do no wrong and can get away with the worst kind of behavior? Unfortunately to a certain extent each and every one of us.

From the time we are toddlers we realize that Pretty Girls and Athletically Gifted Boys can get away with a lot more Crapolla than the rest of us. And the older they get the better the perks; in a way it truly is surprising that so many athletes are truly quality people given the different sets of standards they have. A lot of that stems from the example the parents set from the start; or sometimes they just have a good set of internal values.

And in New York Vinnie’s eyes maybe the saddest thing of all these PUDS like Jackson, Iverson, Marbury and Artest truly believe that they are in the right. For some stupid Frickin reason Stephen Jackson decided to tell the Golden State Warriors he no longer wanted to be the team captain. Why would a grown man act in such a childish manner? Because in his mind he was disrespected by his club and this was his way of getting back at them! But guess what Stephen? The only one who loses is you; the Warriors will play no better or worse if you are the team captain or not. However you are now without your title, which by having it given to you in the first place was a Frickin sign of respect, right?

The athletes that New York Vinnie has named here are beyond our help at this point. However we can prevent future PUDS in the NBA by showing our children what is acceptable and what is not regardless of what they can do on the field or the hardwood. Let us end this “Sense Of Entitlement” by nipping it in the bud during childhood.

There will be no fireworks coming out of Los Angeles; at least not this time. The “Los Angeles Times” spoke to the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers Ron Artest about the comments that Dallas Mavericks Team Owner Mark Cuban made to a Dallas “ESPN” affiliate last week. Cuban told the radio station he was happy that Artest was now playing for the reigning NBA Champions. The Mavericks owner believes as Your Old Pal New York Vinnie does that “Tru-Warrior” will be a divisive force in the Lakers locker room.

Surprisingly Artest took the high road and told the paper that the comments did not bother him in the least. In fact he told reporters he was rather amused by Cube’s remarks. Artest said “As long as you can play basketball, work hard, come to work every day, get your training in, get your extra work in, I think it’s important that the fans get entertained. It’s important that Mark Cuban says stuff like that. It’s great for the fans. It’s something to read and it keeps it interesting. Nobody is really getting hurt. It’s just words. I think the fans like that. That’s why I love this game!”

So have we finally seen the maturation of Ron Artest? Is this a sign of things to come; how he will handle adversity during the season? New York Vinnie does not believe that for one second; a media relations guy from the Lakers was able to coach “Tru Warrior” through this situation. Because that response was not from Ron Artest. Now it may have come out of his mouth but they were put there by someone else.

This time of the year it is real easy to keep an NBA player calm; they are just coming back from vacation and the grind of the regular season has not gotten to them as of yet. However what if a situation like this comes up in January? Do you really expect Artest to be this much of a gentleman at that point?

Everything and everybody reverts back to form eventually. Artest is a PUD, he can’t help himself and sooner or later the real “Tru-Warrior” will come to the surface. Always remember Ron;  You can fool some of the people all of the time and you can fool all of the people some of the time. But My Man you can’t fool New York Vinnie!

It is now official; Dallas Mavericks Team Owner Mark Cuban is by far New York Vinnie’s favorite team owner in all of the NBA and would have to be right up there with the Late Great Mara family members who owned the New York Giants. Why has Cuban now hit the top of New York Vinnie’s “Hit Parade“? Because Cubes had the stones to tell a Dallas All-Sports radio station what New York Vinnie told you back on August 5; that Ron Artest will Frickin destroy the Los Angeles Lakers.

One of the most popular articles we have published on the “House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl was a piece I wrote entitled How Long Will It Take For Artest To De-Rail The Lakers?   It is tough enough for an NBA team to win back to back Titles in this current day and age. Now the team from Los Angeles is giving themselves a handicap right from, the start by bringing in a player who has been a Frickin losse cannon since he got into the NBA.

Cuban was a guest Friday on the Dallas “ESPN Radio” affiliate when the subject of “Tru-Warrior” being on the reining NBA Champions came up. The Dallas Team Owner told the shows hosts “”I tell you what, now that they’ve got Ron Artest, I couldn’t think of anything better. If you would have said, what one player; and I’ll get killed over this; what one player would you like to see on the Lakers? Ron Artest. Could you imagine? Ron Artest has got the ball, and Kobe’s standing there, ‘Throw me the ball.’ Thank you, Ron Artest!”

No, Thank You Mark Cuban because New York Vinnie not only thinks you are Spot On My Man; but you have me Frickin rolling right now! And the reason it is so Frickin funny is because it is so Frickin true; you know that scene is going to be played out throughout the entire season. The hosts gave Cubes a chance to back down but My Man did not take it. Cuban said “I think he’ll add some character to that team. Whether it will be positive or negative will be interesting to see.”

That is Frickin classic stuff Cubes! You get Big Props from Your Old Pal New York Vinnie it takes stones to do what you did my man. The High and Mighty Commissioner David Stern can’t get involved in this My Man. And New York Vinnie believes you and the Mavericks will have the last laugh.

“Artest will cause divisiveness in that Frickin clubhouse and he will soon turn into a Frickin malcontent. New York Vinnie thinks that there could be a major blow-out by the end of December! However one thing you can take to the bank is there will be some big Frickin controversy this year with the Lakers and Artest will be involved!”

How Long Will It Take For Artest To De-Rail The Lakers?

Sometimes this job is just too Frickin easy! Apparently “Tru Warrior” must be a regular reader of the “House That New York Vinnie Built” Le Basketbawl. Or it could just be that he knows that he is a Frickin time-bomb that will eventually explode!

The “Associated Press” has reported that new Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest was at a promotion stop for the team in San Diego Monday night. The Lakers will play an exhibition game at the San Diego Sports Arena on October 23. While the veteran was talking to Lakers fans he said that if his new team does not repeat as NBA Champions next June it will be his fault.

So what exactly is Artest trying to convey with this Frickin message? Is he already admitting what New York Vinnie told you not long after he signed with Los Angeles that he will be a Cancer on the team and eventually cause them to fall apart? Or is he trying to be the supportive good teammate that is giving his fellow Lakers an out if they do fail?

Artest marches to the beat of his own Frickin drummer so you can never truly be sure of what motivates him to do the things he does or say the things that come out of him. New York Vinnie is not even sure if Artest knows what is going to come out of his Yap when he opens it.

However this will be just the first of many bizarre events that will involve Ron Artest and the reigning NBA Champions. The one thing you can always count on with “Tru Warrior” is you will never be bored.

New York Vinnie like many other folks likes to be challenged in life. When things are running too smoothly New York Vinnie gets bored and starts looking for new worlds to conquer. That is why when offered the chance to turn Le Basketbawl into the “House That New York Vinnie Built” I jumped at the offer! It was something I had no previous experience in and Vinnie wanted to see if he could truly be a Frickin writer. According to the early results things are looking positive as our numbers are up and New York Vinnie’s bosses are very pleased! 

However there are sometimes when the challenge in front of you is just too Frickin tough and one has to walk away! We can not win every battle; so a smart person picks their fights wisely. There are times when it is better to leave and live to fight another day rather than to go down with the Frickin ship. One just has to know their abilities and try to look at a situation objectively. Unfortunately there are many people in this world that just do not know when enough is enough. New York Vinnie’s rule of thumb has always been if the bottom line is not worth the Crappola you put up with then the fight is not worth continuing.

The world of Professional Sports is filled with Frickin challenges every day for players and management. Players try to perform at their best between the lines no matter who their Frickin opponent is. Athletes also have to deal with the Frickin media making sure that they choose their words carefully. Many times right after a game a player is filled with emotion; the good ones are able to tamp those Frickin feelings down and say nothing that will come back to haunt them. Others allow their Frickin emotions to get the best of them and then have to live with the results.

Management also has to confront challenges every Frickin day and hopefully make the decisions that will best help their team. A coach or a manager has to make sure they have the right Frickin players on the field or the court at the right time. A General Manager has to make sure that he gives his Field General the right soldiers to get the job done! It is a fine art finding someone with the right Frickin mixture of talent and chemistry to help your team get to the next Frickin level. And that task is not an easy one which is why we see the Frickin turnover in front offices all over Pro Sports.

There have been a lot of moves that have been made during this last six week period in the NBA. Some will truly help there teams some may show little or no effect. And there are some that you just have to scratch your head and say What were they Frickin thinking? 

Although New York Vinnie has lots of respect for Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchack he may have brought in a guy this summer that could absolutely Frickin destroy his club’s Frickin chemistry. Yes you know exactly who New York Vinnie is talking about  Lakers new  forward Ron Artest. There is no doubt about the ability that Artest has when it comes to Frickin hoops! However his mindset is always in question! New York Vinnie thinks that Artest could be what doctors would label clinically as “Nutsy-Cuckoo” !

Artest has been a Frickin losse cannon since he got into the NBA and although he had a good year with the Houston Rockets this past season that does not mean he will fit in with the Frickin team from Los Angeles.  And unfortunately unlike Houston where you have a take charge coach in Rick Adelman and some strong internal leadership that is not the case with the Lakers. How much Crappola you think “Coach Zen” is going to take from Artest before he loses his Frickin patience with him? And if you think that the Black Mamba is going to baby sit him then you got to be smoking Frickin Drano!

Artest will cause divisiveness in that Frickin clubhouse and he will soon turn into a Frickin malcontent. New York Vinnie thinks that there could be a major blow-out by the end of December! However one thing you can take to the bank is there will be some big Frickin controversy this year with the Lakers and Artest will be involved!

It is tough enough to defend an NBA Title and to win it in back to back years. However the Lakers have given themselves a  huge Frickin handicap before they have even assembled for camp. And in the end the Lakers will see that the Frickin aggravation that Artest brings to his new team will not be worth what he does on the Frickin floor!