Latest news with #MettaSandiford-Artest
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Metta Sandiford-Artest on giving up money to play for the Lakers
Metta Sandiford-Artest on giving up money to play for the Lakers In 2009, after a seven-year drought, the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in five games in the final round of the playoffs. Immediately, their quest for back-to-back titles began, especially since they hadn't gotten revenge on the Boston Celtics after the Celtics embarrassed them in the 2008 NBA Finals. Their first task was to retain forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, both of whom were integral parts of their team. Even though the Miami Heat made a big push to sign Odom, he eventually agreed to a new deal to stay put. But Ariza was a different story. He opted to leave and join the Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles replaced him with Metta Sandiford-Artest, then known as Ron Artest. At the time, Sandiford-Artest had a reputation for being a hoodlum, especially after his role in the infamous "Malice at the Palace" in 2004. But he was on his best behavior as a Laker during the 2009-10 season, and he embraced a greatly reduced offensive role while helping Kobe Bryant and crew win it all over Boston. He agreed to a contract that paid him $5.85 million that season after he had made at least $7.4 million in each of the previous three seasons. In fact, his salary for the 2009-10 campaign was lower than his salary in each of his prior five seasons. During an interview with entrepreneur and podcaster Patrick Bet-David, he said he gave up plenty of money to win a ring in L.A., and he was even reluctant to come on board. "I did not expect that call at 12:01 (the start of NBA free agency). ... I get a call, we pull over, and then my agent, David Bauman, says, 'The Lakers want to speak to you.' Pardon my French, but my first reaction was, 'For [expletive] what?' 'Cause I'm like, 'They just beat us.' "... I meet with Dr. [Jerry] Buss the next morning and he was like, 'I'm sorry, I'm not going to be able to pay you what your worth, but we really want you on this team.' "... And I said, 'Damn! Dr. Buss, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant.' I love Kobe. "... I left a lot of money on the table." Sandiford-Artest saw a big drop in his offensive production. He went from averaging 17.1 points a game during the 2008-09 season to putting up 11.0 points a game the following year, and his 3-point accuracy even fell from 39.9% to 35.5%. To that point in his basketball life, he had always been one of the top offensive options on every team he had ever played on, but with L.A., he was merely a role player. But he said it was all worth it, partly because he learned a lot about himself, and he learned that he could overcome adversity. In the process of winning the 2010 NBA title, he reversed his public image and suddenly became likable, and he ended up doing plenty of community-oriented work, especially in the area of mental health.
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Metta Sandiford-Artest wants to 'bring a title to New York City'
Metta Sandiford-Artest wants to 'bring a title to New York City' The New York Knicks are looking for a new head coach after firing Tom Thibodeau just days ago. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals after toppling the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in the second round of the playoffs, and although they fell to the Indiana Pacers in six games, they may be ready to win it all if they hire the right coach. Former Los Angeles Lakers forward and Queens native Metta Sandiford-Artest made it clear in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he would be a "perfect" choice as the Knicks' next head coach. He told Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson his intentions when it comes to getting the job (h/t Lakers Daily). 'I'm trying to bring a title to New York City,' he said, when asked about the Knicks' coaching vacancy. According to Robinson, Sandiford-Artest has been coaching Division II women's basketball for the last six years. He also had a brief stint as a developmental coach with the G League's South Bay Lakers. He provided a brief description of how he would aim to take the Knicks to the next level should he be hired. 'Watch my games when we almost beat the Lakers with the Rockets. Watch my closeout games with the Lakers in the Finals,' Sandiford-Artest said. 'From the post, from the perimeter, on defense — I've been in every situation. I know how to put guys in position to win.' The Knicks haven't been to the NBA Finals since 1999 and haven't won it all since 1973, when they beat the Lakers in the championship series. This year's trip to the Eastern Conference Finals was their first in 25 years. They have an outstanding starting five in Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and former Lakers guard Josh Hart. They may simply need a better bench and the right bench leader to bring a ticker-tape parade to Manhattan.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Former Lakers champion says he'd be 'perfect' as Knicks head coach
Former Lakers champion says he'd be 'perfect' as Knicks head coach When this season started, plenty of people felt the New York Knicks were legitimate championship contenders. That sentiment intensified after the Knicks upset the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in stunning fashion in the second round of the playoffs. But they then got eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference finals, and on Tuesday, they fired Tom Thibodeau after he had been their head coach for the past five seasons. This will therefore be a big offseason for them, as they could end up hiring the head coach who will guide them to their first world title since 1973. Metta Sandiford-Artest had a long and successful career as a two-way forward in the league, and he won it all with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. He took to X (formerly Twitter) and boldly declared that he's the "perfect choice" to be the Knicks' next head coach. Sandiford-Artest came to the Lakers in 2009, and at the time, he was considered the ultimate loose cannon across the league, especially after he was the central figure in the infamous "Malice at the Palace" incident in the fall of 2004. However, he helped them win the NBA championship in his first season with them, and he became a beloved figure, especially after undertaking a number of community-oriented initiatives, particularly in the field of mental health. He left the Lakers in 2013 and spent half a season with the Knicks. After a couple of brief stints overseas, he returned to the Lakers in 2015 for his final two NBA seasons. His only real coaching experience is as a player development coach with the G League's South Bay Lakers during the 2017-18 campaign. The Knicks will likely want to turn to someone who has plenty of experience to be their next head coach. But perhaps Artest, who grew up in the borough of Queens and played his college ball at St. John's University, could convince their next head coach to give him a job as an assistant.
