Artest Arrested

I think Artest has gotten himself into a position that every single one of his mistakes in the past, and future will be criticized throughout his career. The Kings took a big chance with him and for a while it seemed things were going all right, but in the end the Kings are no longer their former playoff contender selves, with or without Artest. Simply put, the Kings organization decided that Artest is not worth the trouble, which is a shame, because he is definitely a talented player and can easily bring something unique to the table.

Eventually, you know how this will end for Ron Artest: complete self-destruction, a life and career promising to spiral out of control.

One Sacramento Kings official reached Monday night says that after Artest’s arrest on suspicion of domestic violence, it is too early to tell whether Artest will play again for the Kings. For now, management has banished him from the team. If these allegations are true, there’s a good chance he’s done as a King.

According to the Sacramento Bee, his wife, Kimba, suffered injuries when police arrived at the Artests’ house. Police say that she had been pushed to the floor several times and had the telephone ripped out of her hands when she tried to call 911. If Artest wanted to distance himself from inciting the Pistons-Pacers brawl in November 2004, he has failed again. Clearly, he has emotional problems that haven’t been solved. In most instances, the NBA is no place to get well.

Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof gambled on the belief that Artest could change, but that’s never happening. Now the Maloofs will be looking to dump him, the way that Chicago and Indiana did before them. Looking back, they should have trusted their instincts and moved Artest before the trade deadline. He had value then. But now it will be tough for any franchise to sell Artest’s entrance into their community despite his immense gifts on the floor. #