Ron Artest being traded or not remains a moot point — no other team is going to take on the three-years, $22 million left on his deal after this season.
Still, for the record, despite the reports, Artest told media members at Lakers practice Wednesday he does not want to be traded (as reported by the Orange County Register).“No, definitely not,” he said. “I feel good every day. We’ve got a chance to win multiple championships here…trying to work towards another banner.
“…I’m not frustrated, no matter what happens out there. It’s part of the game.”
“When you lose a bunch of games, a lot of stories start coming out and all the turmoil starts coming out and that’s what happens to back-to-back champions and going to championship four times in a row and you lose these games,’ Artest said. “Those types of stories come out.”
Somebody in the Artest circle is talking because ESPN’s Marc Stein (who broke the first story) is not the only reporter hearing this. Stephen A. Smith, for one, said he heard the same thing and it’s in part because Artest doesn’t like playing with Kobe Bryant.
Artest is right about this — these things come out when a team is losing. Win a few games in a row and it will be nothing but puppy dogs and rainbows around the Lakers.
