Ronald William "Ron" Artest, Jr. (born November 13, 1979) is an American professional basketball player who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. Artest gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was a major participant in the Pacers–Pistons brawl and is known for his sometimes eccentric, outspoken behavior.
Career transactions
* June 30, 1999: Drafted 16th overall by Chicago Bulls in 1999 NBA Draft.
* February 19, 2002: Traded by Chicago along with Ron Mercer, Brad Miller and Kevin Ollie to the Indiana Pacers for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson and a future second-round draft pick.
* January 25, 2006: Traded by Indiana to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojaković.
* August 21, 2008: Traded by Sacramento along with Patrick Ewing, Jr. and Sean Singletary to the Houston Rockets for Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene and a future first-round draft pick.
* July 8, 2009: Signed by the Los Angeles Lakers for a 5-year deal worth 33 million dollars
Controversy
Artest has been a subject of frequent controversy. In a December 2009 Sporting News interview, Artest admitted that he had led a "wild" lifestyle as a young player, and that he drank Hennessy cognac in the locker room at halftime when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls at the beginning of his NBA career. During his rookie season in Chicago, he was criticized for applying for a job at Circuit City in order to get an employee discount. He once attended a practice with the Indiana Pacers in a bath robe.He was suspended for two games in the early 2004–05 season by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after he allegedly asked for a month off because he was tired from promoting an R&B album for the group Allure on his production label. Artest had also been suspended for three games in 2003 for destroying a television camera at Madison Square Garden, and for four games for a confrontation with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley in 2003. He has also been suspended several times for flagrant fouls. Artest was also involved in the infamous Pacers-Pistons brawl in 2004.
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