WHAT IF WEDNESDAY: What If Ron Artest Never Went Into the Stands?

Artest has been known for many things. 1) His toughness throughout college at St. Johns and during his early years in the NBA are legendary. 2) His ability to use strength, and a mentality that fed a tenacious inner motor, that made him one of the best players in the NBA. 3) The sometimes alternate reality he seems to live in and his bizarre behavior throughout the years.

Artest’s edge and aggressive mentality made him the defensive player of the year, and an all-star in 2003-04. At the beginnning of the following season, on November 21, 2004, Artest fell off the knife’s edge he’d been balancing on. As he lay on the scorer’s table after an on-court kerfuffle, a cold beverage rained down on him from above. Artest ran into the stands along with some of his Indiana teammates, attacking Pistons fans and creating the worst public relations mess since Kermit Washington’s fist met Rudy Tomjanovich’s face.

The well-documented incident cost Artest the remainder of the 2004-05 season (73 games plus the playoffs). It also set into motion a chapter in Artest’s career that ended with an NBA Championship-clinching jumper followed by a sincere thank-you message to his therapist.

But what if Artest and his teammates hadn’t gone into the stands? What if he’d been able to keep his edge intact and under control and maintained his composure that night in Detroit? Where would his career have gone and what effect might it have had on the rest of the league? Would Artest be a different player than he is now and what type of different person or teammate would he be?

Best case scenario: Better and Better in Indy

Artest’s career was on the rise. In 2004, he was coming off an All-Star season and was widely considered the best defensive player in the NBA. In short, he was a force. He was also surrounded by an All-Star at the time in Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson who has shown his value in many places since 2004. Al Harrington was a promising young player and Reggie Miller, while at the end of his career, was still effective.

So where would Artest’s team have gone in Indiana? Indiana made the NBA Finals in 2000 and after posting a 61-21 record during the 2003-04 season, things were looking very good in Indianapolis. The Pacers’ roster in 2004-05 was one big player acquisition or draft away from being an even stronger contender–meaning one of the top 2-3 teams in the league. Whether you believe Artest would have thrived as a centerpiece or only a key contributor, the point is that Ron had a promising career in the Hoosier State.

Worst case scenario: The blow-up is worse later on

So what if Ron had taken that beverage to the face without reacting? What if he had kept his anger inside? The answer to that question is that the ticking time bomb would likely have gone off at some other time. One can’t imagine that it could have ever been any worse than what happened, but–knowing what we know now–an on or off-court situation or a complete mental breakdown was not out of the question.

Had Artest been involved in another situation, which would have been inevitable, it might not have been as bad for the NBA or his team. However, it may have been much worse for him personally. He could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time off the court, got in a fight on the court, or might even have been caught up in the Queensbridge scene he has so articulately described. If Artest couldn’t keep himself from going into the stands in front of fans in the arena and watching on television, what would have kept him from making even worse decisions when not in the spotlight. The opportunities for an NBA player to get into trouble off the court are nearly endless. With players like Stephen Jackson around, (who was involved in a gun-related incident reported in October 2006) who knows what compromised decisions and situations Artest might have been in the middle of.

Because of the potential for an even worse blow-up at some point in the future, going into the stands might have been the best thing to happen to Artest. Had he not done it, he could have done something more destructive to himself.

Effect on the League

Artest’s venture into Row H in Auburn Hills was a low point for fan relations in the NBA. In the years since then, Commissioner David Stern has implemented policies like a dress code for players as they come to arenas. Coaches are required to do interviews between quarters, and referees have been instructed to tolerate less and less complaining from players and coaches.

Whether you think Stern’s recent changes makes the game and the players more or less interesting, there is no arguing that the brawl in Auburn Hills in 2004 has been a tipping point the league can trace current initiatives to 5 ½ years later.

Artest’s mental health

Following the brawl, Artest was suspended for the entire remainder of the season, required to go to counseling, and was subsequently traded to the lowly Sacramento Kings. Though his public actions didn’t always show it, he was on his way to making a positive personal change. After his stint in Sacramento, his time in Houston showed that he could be the physical player and maintain an edge while staying within the confines of the game.

Despite getting picked on by NBA officials, Artest managed to have a solid season, helping the Rockets take the eventual champion Lakers to seven games in the conference semifinals. It was clear that Ron’s game was coming back and that he was getting his mind right.

Ron comes to Titletown – His time with the Lakers

With the Lakers in 2009-10, Ron’s transformation became complete and tangible. His presence on a championship team brought a toughness and edge that was much-needed for a team trying to repeat. When the Lakers visited the White House, Artest became mysteriously ill; the rumor was that he didn’t want to be satisfied or go to the White House when he wasn’t on the team that helped get them there. Under the surface, Artest’s drive and toughness fueled the Lakers’ title run.

In the playoffs, Artest’s defense and tenacity helped the Lakers overcome a three-games-to-two deficit to win the NBA Championship. In a gritty blue-collar Game 7, Artest’s three pointer in the fourth quarter sealed the Lakers’ victory.

In two great post-game moments during the playoffs, Artest made Craig Saeger say “Queesbridge” after he beat the Suns with a Game 5 buzzer beater and then thanked his therapist after the clinching Game 7 of the finals.

In searching for these videos I found this theme park spoof as well.

Unfortunately, the 2010-11 was different for Artest and the Lakers. After starting the year like they were playing against JV teams, the Lakers became bored and disinterested. Without Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol was overplayed and Artest forgot how to dominate. Ron had to be a star in Houston and Sacramento, but had become too comfortable in his position as a role player in Los Angeles. With Kobe Bryant to shoulder the leadership role and dominate, Artest seems happy and content to not dominate. Where he never let himself get lost in the game, he seems to have taken a cue from the Lamar Odom of the past and has decided to show up with an edge only sometimes.

Below is a diagram of Ron’s edge/sanity and how it affects his game:

His lack of edge leaves the Lakers, well, edgeless. With his edge has gone Ron’s consciousness and I’m not sure if there’s anything anyone on the Lakers can do about it. Recently, rumors have spread that Ron wants out of Los Angeles. If you watch the games, it’s easy to see he’s not happy. Lakers beat writer Mike Bresnahan tweeted during the game at Memphis on Monday night that Artest didn’t look happy on Monday night.

While Artest may be happier in his personal life, his happiness on the court is not translating into Lakers wins. When Artest was hungry, had an edge, and was borderline insane shouting Queensbridge, the Lakers were winning. Maybe his unhappiness on the court signifies a change in Ron that can give the Lakers the edge they need. For Lakers fans, here’s hoping that unhappiness is limited to the court, and here’s hoping there is more where that came from.

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