Ron Artest Quotations

(Music star) Jay Z, he pays millions of dollars for promotion, and I'm getting it for free.

I was surprised he did that. I was ready for it.

Nobody is counting us out, except maybe Spurs fans. We'll be all right.

I would rather have him play. You don't want to play against a team that's not full strength.

We needed (a win) bad. One thing I like about this team is guys have confidence in each other. This was another test, but we were at home this time. I'm in better shape. This game was more comfortable (for me) and it's going to get better.

No, I don't think anybody is going to throw anything at me from the stands and I don't see me reacting how I reacted.

I don't even think we're the underdogs any more. I think we're the team to beat, just by how we've been playing.

Me and my family were trying to do something for the families in New Orleans, and this is the perfect situation to do it. I'm going to go down there and show support for those people.

The only thing on my mind is getting in shape. I've got an injury. So the only thing on my mind is getting over my injury and getting in shape.

Has Bruce been playing good defense? I haven't really checked him out. Of course, he's a good defender, but I don't really know who's stopping this year.

I don't think we're the underdogs right now. I think we're the team to beat. I think we're going to be the champions.

We've got to put this game behind us.

We've got to take this win and maybe celebrate for 10 minutes, (then) leave it alone because there's a new game coming up on Sunday.

He's a cool cat, ... I think he's from the 'hood.

We're on the road this whole playoffs, so that's going to be our home. When we do come home, it'll be that much better.

He carried us, he had energy. I loved it. It was cool. I love taunting. They need to apply that in the games. Legalize it. Legalize taunting.

We lost, so it doesn't mean much how I guarded (Bryant). He hit that last shot, I was like, 'That's Kobe.' He is wide open; he is going to hit it.

He's getting over his jitters, ... It's tough. We're asking him to learn two positions. Danny has a tendency at times to be in a hurry.

Today it was just a bad game. I'm just going to watch the tape and see what we did wrong. I felt pretty good. This game was a lot of errors, I just have to check it out. We had a lot of chances to still win. We've got to get back to how we were playing a couple of weeks ago. We're not playing both ends (of the floor) every game, only sometimes.

He made some good shots. It's just part of the game. I had some battles that I won and he had some battles he won. But tonight we lost as a team, so that is the only thing that counts.

He hit some big shots. Helped them win. I can imagine what he was going through. It must have been more intense for him, because it happened so suddenly.

I saw the team that I was traded to and I just figured we were good enough to get in the playoffs. I still feel we have a championship caliber team. We're in the playoffs and now our goal is to win the whole thing. Everybody on this team is committed. We're going to walk the walk.

I think when I got Defensive Player of the Year I was playing great defense. Last year when they implemented those new rules, I was still playing very good defense. I just have to get adjusted to the NBA style of play. It will be fine because I can still slide my feet.

Nah. I'm not looking to do that. I'm keeping the same perception.

I'm still going to be playing hard, out of control, just wild like an animal,

I think more experience . . . my (jumper) is a little bit more wet, ... When I shoot it, it's so nice and pure. I'm more automatic.

I still think my past haunts me here. I think somewhere else I'm starting fresh. I'm coming in with baggage but people already know about it and how I'm going to be. Either they're going to be for me or they're not going to trade for me. Here I think my past haunts me.

I was just ready, ready for anything. I was surprised (at early success). I didn't expect to hit my first three. But I felt good, even early in the day I felt good. I've got to do a little more adjusting to the game. It will come with more games played.

I was just trying to do what I do,

I talked to Stu Jackson, which was encouraging. There have been a lot of things that have happened in my career which (were) unfair. I support my teammates, and hopefully they'll win the game, and I'll be back Friday (for Game 3).

I think any person on the street would have done the same thing, ... I just learned that if somebody from the stands throws something at you, don't do anything back or you'll get suspended.

I think I did a lot of good things in Indiana also that's probably been overshadowed. I think those will be in my memories more than the other stuff.

It doesn't matter. We're family. Family's got to argue sometimes. At the end of the day, brothers still love brothers. Sisters still love sisters. But there's no girls on the team.

It feels like high school again. I had a really good team, and I was a much better leader. When I got in college and the NBA, I became selfish. Now, I'm back to my high school days.

It felt good to play in front of people again. They gave everybody good receptions, so I was happy.

I think it's good for the Pacers (that I'm leaving). I think they will be able to focus on playing basketball. I can focus on playing basketball myself and be very happy. I'm upset that I won't be with Donnie Walsh anymore. It was an emotional meeting, but it wasn't like what was reported on TV. We had a good conversation.

I was more disappointed that we lost as a team as opposed to playing poorly. We just have to move on and get better. The big thing is we should have won this game.

You knew (Brad Miller) was going to come and play hard, that's what he's about.

We're not finished. We've got a long season ahead of us. We're far from done. Our goal is to come out of this year No. 1, and win a championship.

We play like a team, ... Sometimes I may not score. I was not looking to score. The buckets came.

We won the last three quarters, we just couldn't finish the job.

We stayed mentally tough the whole game. That was the best feeling.

We've got guys that can play. Whatever I can do out there that's effective and positive, I just try to do.

When we are clicking on the offensive end, making shots, you get your teammates involved. That's what I was trying to do tonight.

You hear about them, but you never know what's true. I'm just waiting to find out which team I'll be playing for.

I should have gotten myself more involved in the first nine minutes. I had to have gotten myself more involved in the first quarter.

We've been playing really hard at home and guys have been stepping up. Kevin stepped up again. We just need to bring this intensity with us on the road. I think we'll be fine on this trip as long as we play hard.

We've just got to give ourselves a chance.

We've got to find energy in an arena that is not our own.

I've said it a thousand times. Referees miss calls. They missed that one, too.

We've got a lot of guys who play to win, ... We were down, but we didn't give up. We started out slow, but we played hard, took care of the ball and came out ahead.

We've had people's attention (for a while). I think people are going to come after us like we're the No. 1 seed, like we're favorites.

That's going to be fun getting him back and playing with him. We need our whole team.

That's gonna be fun, ... I love the tension. I love when everything's going wrong ... In the NBA, they don't promote guys like me. They like guys who like Cheerios, good guys. But I find a way to promote myself.

They should just give it to me. Guys are having 40 (point games), and they play against me and don't get nothing. I'm playing some good D.

Sac is different. I love Indiana, but it's different out here. The crowd is unbelievable. When I was in Indy, the crowd fed off me. Here, sometimes I wasn't even in the game, and they were going crazy.

Ostertag came at me with his body. He really came and went for the body first and the ball second.

Our defensive intensity wasn't there. We slacked a little bit.

There's no trade right now, but they (the Pacers) said they were going to try to get something sorted out to get the trade done.

There are going to be a lot of road games coming up. I'm sure San Antonio is going to be ready for us, so we've got to come in there with a lot of energy and confidence. We're on the road this whole playoffs, so that's where we've got to win. We've got to make it our home away from home.

We just have to see what we did back then, and see what we're doing now. We're going to have to finish the last games off strong. I felt pretty good out there. Right now we're not playing both ends of the floor each game, only sometimes.

You really feel for those families that lost everything. Hopefully we'll put on a good show for everyone at the game.

Young guys need to be reminded of what it takes to be a good defensive player. I just try to help out and tell guys what other guys told me when I came in the league.

You never know what is going to happen this time of the year. I have a goal to reach the playoffs. I just hope I can do my best.

I'm very edgy and I'm not going to balance it, ... (Last year) it's over now. I'm back now. Ready to play ball and sell some records.

I mean, last season, I was 24 going on 25. Now, I am 25 going on 26. You grow up, you make mistakes and you learn from that. I am trying not to make the same mistakes.

I'm working with what I've got, that's what I've got to go with. I'm not 100 percent, but it's fine. I can still play defense, still pass and do other things.

I'm very excited, very excited. I feel like it's a fresh start, like it's a blessing that I've got an opportunity to play once again.

I made myself into a franchise player there, but I kind of sneaked up on them.

I'm only worried about my fans, ... That's it. Indiana fans.

I'm out of shape right now. I've been working out at my gym at home, but it's not the same as playing in an NBA game. It's going to take me about a month after I get traded for me to get back into basketball shape.

I'm looking forward to being bashed and cursed out. That's going to be a lot of fun.

Oh I've got all kinds of suits I'm gonna break out, yellow and orange, suede, velvet ? and a cat in the hat suit!

I've got to just let it come to me in the offense, ... I just kept adjusting defensively. When I left last season, it was a totally different style, so I have to get back my timing and adjust.

I'm not like the savior. I can bring hustle, clutch shots and intensity to the game. My job is to make this team better. We have the opportunity to do something special this year, and I'm just trying to take advantage of it.

I'm going to play hard. That's all I can do. Things that were distractions to my team in the past - I've learned from my mistakes, and I look forward to those things not happening.

I'm going to continue playing hard and out of control, like a wild animal that needs to be caged in. I'll let the referees handle it.

I'm going to definitely take it upon myself to make sure we don't get in situations like we have in these last four or five games. I take it upon myself to make sure we win, and I'm sure people will follow. We did it once before, we'll do it again.

(The official) got in the way by mistake and the ball hit his foot. It was one of those games. We'll get it back, though.

That's cool, I'm looking forward to (being) bashed, cursed out, everything,

(The fans) understand that we're trying to make the playoffs. In order to do that, we're gonna need our fans. Now we have to go on the road and show some toughness on the road.

It's cool. That's what they're supposed to do. I'm a Sacramento King, and if you come to Arco Arena, you already know how it's going to be.

They both have a knack for making tough shots, and it kind of separates them from all the other players. They?re really quick, strong and can jump. So it separates them from all the other players that?s trying to get to where they are.

It was good to get a win. All the games are tough right now. We came here to get a win. We worked hard and deserved to win tonight.

I like to reach for the stars. Once we get into the playoffs, it's anybody's ballgame. Once this team gets adjusted to each other, I just feel we're one of the better teams in the league.

If there was a fight between the fans who loved me or booed me, I think the boos would have won.

I think my shot has certainly gotten better. This team, whoever is open can shoot it. It's about being able to knock them down in the pressure situation.

I know him. He's a cool cat. I think he's from the 'hood. It's good he's showing us some support. I can't wait until he comes to Indiana. Indiana fans are looking forward to seeing him.

I just think we'll do better next time. They showed us some things that we needed to see. There shouldn't have been that turnaround, but we'll get it back. You leave them open a little bit, and they'll make their shots. We've got to get into the playoffs first, and we'll take it from there.

I just wanted to do something that could help the kids. It's good to see people happy.

I get a chance to promote my album, ... Jay-Z pays millions for promotion. I get it for free.

I'll go anywhere. I just want to get back on the basketball court and start playing again.

I didn't know what coach was going to do. He gave me a chance. I was just trying to do things to help the team win. We just fell a little short tonight.

It was great. The fans were great. They were nice boos. They had to do that because they had nothing else to do. I will probably expect it (boos all season), but when I get to the arena and it is time to play, then it will be all about playing basketball.

They have to find a better definition of the ball in the stands.

They were nice boos, ... They had to do that because they had nothing else to do. I am not paying attention to it.

It's happened to me before. It wasn't, like, the first time. I'm a little bit (more) able to deal with it and bounce back and be that much better. . . . I'm not going to think about putting the team on my shoulders. We're just going to think about winning games the same way we've been winning games.

It's an adjustment because when I left last season, it was totally a different style than what it is now. I have to get my timing back and adjust to the new style of play.

It's a new team, a new beginning, jumping right into the fire, right in the middle of the season. I think I'm going to catch on really fast.

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