Hooped Up

While receiving an honorary degree from his alma matter. Phil Jackson had this to say regarding the best athlete he has ever coached when asked as reported by the OC Register.

“No, the player Jackson called the greatest that he has coached is that wedding dress aficionado and Newport Beach police’s favorite basketball bad boy, Dennis Rodman. That’s right. No need to rub your eyes.

“He could probably play a 48-minute game and play the 48th minute stronger than the first minute of the game,” Jackson told the crowd at UND. “He was that terrific an athlete.”

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“I understand what Yao said, but I’m still ghetto,” said Artest, who will earn $7.4 million next season and be a free agent next summer. “That’s not going to change. I’m never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don’t think he’s ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Yao Ming gets to know me, he’ll understand what I’m about. “If you go back to the brawl, that’s a culture issue right there. Somebody was disrespecting me, so he’s got to understand where I’m coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed.”

Sacramento Bee

On Artest: “Hopefully, he’s not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands,” Yao said. Reached by phone a few hours later, Artest – who had spoken with Rockets shooting guard Tracy McGrady but not Yao since the news of the agreed-upon trade broke – said Yao is merely the latest person to believe “all the propaganda.” 

Sacramento Bee

Will McGrady finally make it out of the first round?  Well, adding the best perimeter defender in the game to the Houston Rockets roster definitely won’t hurt.

The Houston Rockets will send veteran guard Bobby Jackson, rookie forwardDonte Green and a 2009 first round pick to Sacramento for forward Ron Artest. The trade reunites Artest with Rockets head coach Rick Adelman, who coached Artest for 40 games in Sacramento in 2005-06.

A second source close to the Pistons has indicated that Pistons are pondering a trade forRon Artest. I’m not sure of the opinions of thePistons powers-that-be — namely team president Joe Dumars and owner Bill Davidson — but it says plenty that the chatter surrounding the mere idea is spreading around them. And Dumars, for the record, may be glad this is getting out since he is reportedly tired of fans thinking he’s sitting on his hands. The piece that gets it done here isTayshaun Prince.

Sacramento Bee

Tru-Warrior might have to get comfy in Sacramento. One things for sure, it looks like he won’t be in Dallas anytime soon.

The Sacramento Kings have expressed interest in acquiring Dallas Mavericks forward/guardJosh Howard in a trade for All-Star forward Ron Artest, but the Mavericks aren’t interested, according to an NBA source. The Mavericksreportedly were willing to offer forward Brandon Bass and guard Jerry Stackhouse for Artest. But the Kings wanted Howard included in the deal, halting the discussions. Because the Mavericks won’t budge on Howard, a potential trade for Artest is all but dead, the source said.

Dallas Morning News

Shawn Marion might be the most underrated small forward in the league and the Heat might “upgrade” him for another underrated small forward in Ron-Ron.

Miami is believed to have interest in Artest and be willing to part with Shawn Marion, whose $17.1 million deal also is expiring. As will be the case with most suitors, the question will be whether the Kings can include forward Kenny Thomas and his deal that includes two more seasons and approximately $18 million. 

Sacramento Bee 

Ron Artest might have coined a new term, as he pulled a Ron-Ron by not becoming a free agent when bruising defensive small forwards are en vogue in the league.  Only an “Attack at Arco” to follow the “Malice in the Palace” will assure that he will get traded now.

The Ron Artest media tour continued over the weekend, when the Kings small forward submitted his longest e-mail rant yet to ESPN’s Marc Stein.Having already shared his regret over not opting out of his contract last month after learning he wasn’t in the Kings’ long-term plans, Artest expressed a desire to be traded and claimed he was “blinded by friendship” with the Maloof family that owns the Kings.

Sacramento Bee 

Why Ron Artest would not want to be a free-agent, is beyond me.  In an offseason were James Posey is sought after, Ron Artest could have cashed in and played for a contender.

Ron Artest continued to lament his decision to pass on an opportunity to become a free agent July 1 by announcing that he is now representing himself without an agent and expressing hope that he will soon be traded to “a team out there that can be more committed than Sacramento to me.” That team is believed to be the Los Angeles Lakers. 

ESPN.com 

With a payroll of approximately $70 million that is nearing the league’s luxury tax threshold of $71.15 million, the Kings officially ended their free-agent shopping. The last potential order of business is the future of Ron Artest, the small forward who certainly could be traded before training camp. According to a league source, the Lakers already have contacted the Kings regarding Artest and are believed to be offering forward Lamar Odom. As of Tuesday evening, the Kings had not returned the call. They are expected to insist on forward Kenny Thomas and his $18 million of remaining salary (over two seasons) being included in that potential trade. Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie declined comment on whether the Lakers had called. 

Sacramento Bee