Ron Artest On Kobe: “We’re Not Friends Out There At All”
It’s hard to imagine that you’re cool with someone if you exchange “Eff you”‘s for an entire quarter. But after the game, Kobe insisted that his “conversation” with Ron Artest was all gravy. “It was edgy,” Bryant said. “I would expect nothing less. He’s a competitor, I’m a competitor. It’s fun.” But Ron-Ron didn’t agree.
“We’re not friends out there at all,” Artest said. “After the game, after the season, this will be something we’ll probably talk about at a pickup game or something. Not personal at all.”
First of all, I love how Artest suggests that they’ll settle their lukewarm beef at a pickup game. It’s almost as though the blacktop is a place to play, a place for community, and a place of diplomacy rolled into one.
If I’m Rick Adelman, I keep Artest away from KB when these teams meet again this season (April 3rd, 10:30 PM EST). It’s not because I think things would really boil over into a fight. But I think that when Ron gets lit up on the defensive end, he’s too proud to take it without trying to prove his worth. If Kobe’s locked in – and there’s nothing anyone can do about that – Artest might try to respond by taking more ill-advised shots than usual. Last night, he went 4-16 for 11 points. Let Shane Battier stay on him.
Source: Dallas News
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March 12th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Tbest says:
Nice mis-leading headline Dime. He didn’t say they weren’t friends. Just not friends on the court. Almost every player would say that about another player.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:46 am
jonny taise says:
once again a terribly misleading title to this ‘story’.
why don’t you just say it like it is: Ron Artest on Kobe: ” We’re not friends DURING THE GAME.”
Are you chaps trying to start some silly beef or something?
March 12th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Prof. TX says:
Shane might be the better choice anyway. He’s a better defender against the jump shot, which is a big part of Kobe’s offense. Artest is better in a grinding physical match up, but Kobe’s not the type to post up and try to overpower someone. Shane ‘almost face guarding’ Battier seems to be a better fit for hassling Kobe, while Artest defends someone that needs his strength, like maybe Odom.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Ashlov says:
Ron Artest is a douche bag.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Ron ron is going to find Kobe when he is sleeping sometime later on in life. Scary ish…
P.S. I LOVE the Lakers but D-Fish is by far and away the worst starting point in the NBA. Dudes ALWAYS jacking and fouling three point shooters. Unnacceptable for a Vet
March 12th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
kevin k says:
Andrew Katz is the most hated dude @ Dime and the title explains it all
Ron Artest is better against guys like Lebron or Carmelo where he can body them up… Use Shane for Kobe
March 12th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Oh and I agree on the misleading title and “we’ll probably talk about at a pickup game” is code for “meet me after school out in the parking lot so I can beechyoazz!”
March 12th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Schwaller says:
Kobe embarrassed Artest last night, right after dat mini arugment he went to work and dropped what like 18 pts in da 4th qrt. Kobe let his game do the talking, ball dont lie!
March 12th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Kevin K,
Thanks bro. Sorry to mislead people, but all I wrote was what Artest said. It’s not starting a beef or being intentionally confusing – his comments are clarified in the body of the post. We can’t write paragraphs as headlines.
-ak
March 12th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
hucklebuck says:
Ron Artest should have brought out the Queens in him, but he got bamboozled on this one.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
YOUNGFED...."Never said I was clever just funny as hell" says:
The BlackTop is also where Artest can put the smackdown on Kobe.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Plus isn’t that the intent of a headline to get the reader’s attention? If so I think it did just that got all of you guys to read after the jump.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
YOUNGFED...."Never said I was clever just funny as hell" says:
^^^^Dude this ain’t the Daily Planet we were gonna read it anyway.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
ChroniclesofJared.com says:
Ron Ron is ready to get sick on KB…but maybe everyone’s right, let Shane take him. Ron Ron ain’t as quick as he once was and they need him on the offensive end.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
FIRE KATZ says:
Another example of why Katz should be fired.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
rlf says:
no andrew, you have to write headlines that are controversial that way you will get the hits that you need.
the classic part was:
Ron to kobe: “you’re not ready for me”
kobe to ron: “what? i’m not ready for you”
kobe to ron: what? are you a stand up comedian now.
ron to kobe: “i love you, i love you man”
now, that’s classic…not the BS stuff you try to create, but that’s what gets you paid.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
doc says:
dONT PUT rON ON kOBE BECAUSE OF ONE NIGHT?ARE U CRAZY.KOBE WILL LIGHT UP ANYBODY WHEN HE FEELING IT LIKE THAT.RON CLAMPED HIS ASS BEFORE AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN JUST LIKE KOBE WILL LIGHT HIS ASS UP AGAIN TOO.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
SayItAintSo says:
Wow doc…all caps? Tell us how you REALLY feel…
March 12th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
sali says:
Much to do about the way alot of us grew up playing the game. We have a tendency to over exposed the most trivial activities. Once again we put ourselves in situations where we are manipulated and divided by the media. Two black men displaying disharmony amongst millions of viewers.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Gary says:
weren’t they like buddy buddy when artest was out on suspension or something? Remember that interview Artest did where he was basically stroking Kobe’s ego? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s24kx5ynRVQ
March 12th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
rodnets says:
scaring pic of ron
March 12th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
D says:
Naturally they’re not friends on the court, but the best damn sports show bad artest interview Kobe a year or so ago and ron ron was giddy like a kid. Dude always gets a bad rap but he respects Kobe a lot. Arrest is just intense and takes pride in defense
March 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
ERIC says:
@ GARY
You beat me to it. Thats exactly what i was gonna bring up.
March 12th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Jason says:
We seriously should start a FIRE KATZ petition! It’s obvious the guy doesn’t watch the game (remember when he said he didn’t understand why NBA players though Perkins ran his mouth too much and didn’t back it up…Katz “i just don’t see it”) And now with the misleading headlines like we are idiots. Wake up dime and FIRE KATZ!!!!
March 12th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Dime Magazine says:
I guess I didn’t realize how misleading the headline was. It’s been changed. Thanks.
- Andrew Katz
March 12th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
kevin k says:
@ AK
At least you are a man to admit your mistakes. Keep it up with your work.
March 12th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
what? says:
the title didn’t mislead me at all. I understood that they meant during the game. you sure you guys aren’t seeing what you want to see?
March 12th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
nola says:
it’s still very misleading. ak, the only problem with your articles is that your introduction, the thing thats supposed to tell me what it’s all about… doesnt tell me what it’s about at all. i’m not trying to hate, just offering criticism that you most likely dont want.
quoting kobe and then saying “ron doesnt agree” implies that ron really hates kobe’s guts. but that’s not it at all…
March 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Dime Magazine says:
Nola,
Thanks for taking your time to explain your issue.
However, the sentence “Ron doesn’t agree” doesn’t imply anything more than what it says – that Ron Artest doesn’t agree with Kobe Bryant’s sentiments that it was “fun” trash-talk. It sure as shit doesn’t imply that Ron “really hates Kobe’s guts”.
One click and 5 seconds later, you’re able to see Ron’s exact words.
I agree that an introduction should help to set up the rest of an article. But is there an unwritten rule that writers need to provide you with a crystal clear picture of the story within the first three sentences?
I sincerely believe that it’s alright to tease the key quote out to the second paragraph without paraphrasing it in the first.
-ak
March 12th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Big Shot BOB says:
Why even entertain these asinine comments AK?
March 12th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Kudabeen says:
It is an article we all clearly read…Posting the video would have been better but no biggie…
I think Artest did agree with Kobe…They are both competitor going at each other…”Kobe said he “whipped his ass”…IS that the official quote?