We love Ron Artest at BSO mainly because he is honest.
Honesty is not prevalent in the sports world. Athletes are so packaged that you can’t believe anything that comes out of their mouths. On the flip side of that, some athletes say things so dumb you wonder if they need to quit drinking like Artest.
Artest is getting focused for the season and explains that he cut out some of the excess in his life:
Artest said he stopped drinking alcohol in January to focus on the season — and then ceased his championship celebrations, alcohol-wise, at the end of July. Artest said he “didn’t even have the stomach for it anymore” while celebrating, which included him consuming his infamous Hennessy scotch before the Lakers’ 11 a.m. championship parade.
“That’s something that paid off so much,” he said. “I’ve been drinking alcohol since I was 17 years old, 15 years old.”
Gotta love Ron’s openness, huh?
Artest also volunteered something along those lines at the end of his chat with reporters Saturday: “Even if they legalize marijuana, I won’t be smoking marijuana.”
On the ballot currently in California is Proposition 19 to legalize marijuana under state law.
Later Saturday night, Artest wrote via Twitter: “are they really going to legalize marijuana? … i hope not!! … its not cool kids might think its cool.”
Artest is all about the kids.
I wonder what Artest was doing when he was 16 since he started drinking at 15 or 17 years old. He has a missing year like he was on the cast of “Lost”.
While I will miss the stories about him drinking Henny at halftime of games, if he feels this is going to make him a better player (and a better person), I wish him well. Somehow I don’t think Artest needs alcohol to be the life of the party.
