Lakers Shoot Down Ron Artest Trade Talks (Thankfully)

February 2, 2011 - A source had said that Ron Artest wanted to be traded from the team this season and with the trade deadline approaching in roughly 3 weeks, it was very scary news, especially since he is my favorite player.

Fortunately, Ron Artest shot down those rumors after practice to reporters.
"I just wanted to get some breakfast and go to practice," said Artest, the last player in the gym working on his shooting. "You can't worry about it." Thankfully we won't have to worry about it now. Even other players on the team aren't worried about it. Derek Fisher says that Artest doesn't seem to show any interest in leaving. Even coach Phil Jackson stated that Artest has been a scapegoat ever since arriving, and that he has been like the new guy on the block. That is just not fair for the guy.

Sure he has been struggling this season with career lows in points (8.1) and minutes played (27.8) per game, but the rumors have been completely denied at this point. He is just trying to adjust with his team which is full of all-star players such as Bryant, Gasol, and Odom. Heck, even the bench for the Lakers would be a starting lineup for any other team in the league. One reason I love Artest is because he plays aggressive defense, something which a lot of NBA players don't strive to achieve. Rest assured, because Artest is here to stay. Remember, this is the guy who came up big in Game 7 for the championship last season in which he had 20 points and 5 rebounds in 46 minutes of play that night.