Ron Artest planning to retire?

[Halu Sination]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2811743

Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest told multiple teammates this week that he wants to retire at season's end to spend more time with his family, according to club sources.

Reached via e-mail, Artest wouldn't confirm or deny making such declarations, telling ESPN.com: "We can talk about it after [the] playoffs."

Artest added that he will indeed play Sunday afternoon when the Kings, 4½ games out of the eighth and final playoff berth in the West, play host to Phoenix in an ABC game. Since being arrested at his Sacramento-area home March 5 after a domestic dispute with his wife, Artest has missed three games, most recently Thursday night's road loss to the Suns.

Artest pleaded not guilty Thursday to four misdemeanor charges stemming from the dispute. He tried to make it to Phoenix in time for the Kings' game after his court appearance, but weather-related travel complications prevented Artest and Kings broadcaster Grant Napear -- who also was also traveling on a commercial flight that day -- from joining the team.

The possibility of the eight-year veteran walking away from the Kings after the season to focus on family life is also raised at hiphopgame.com, where Artest has been posting journal entries this season.

But it should be noted that this isn't the first time he's brought up retirement. Before and after his 73-game suspension with Indiana during the 2004-05 season, Artest suggested numerous times publicly that he could be content without the NBA in his life. Few league observers believed him then, and similar skepticism is bound to greet his latest sentiments.

The 27-year-old has two seasons left on his contract after this one, both at salaries of $7.4 million. Artest has the option to terminate the contract after next season and enter the free-agent market in July 2008.

Artest was widely hailed as a savior in Sacramento last season after the Kings acquired him from the Pacers in a late January trade for Peja Stojakovic. The Kings were 17-24 when they got him and wound up rallying into the postseason, extending San Antonio to six games in the first round and stretching their run under co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof to eight straight seasons in the playoffs.

During the offseason, both Maloofs openly described Artest as the new face of the franchise, expressing hope that the enigmatic swingman would finish his career with the Kings.

This season, though, has been turmoil-ridden from the start, with ongoing reports of locker-room strife, and first-year coach Eric Musselman has struggled to assert his authority over the Kings. Artest and point guard Mike Bibby both were made available before the league's Feb. 22 trade deadline, leading to speculation that the Kings will be looking to jettison both -- as well as Musselman -- this offseason.

In an interview with ESPN.com in November 2004, just one week before the melee at The Palace of Auburn Hills that led to the longest suspension in NBA history, Artest raised and then shot down the idea of early retirement in the same conversation.

"If I think I want to retire, it doesn't make me crazy," Artest said at the time. "What's so crazy about being home with your family? I don't see anything so crazy about that. If people think that's crazy, maybe they don't know what it's like to be with their family. Family is more important than money."

But then he added: "I really -- before I retire -- I want to win a championship. I want to reach at least one of the things Michael Jordan reached."

After entering his plea of not guilty last week, Artest was ordered by a Placer County Superior Court judge to stay at least 100 yards away from wife, Kimsha, and their three children until further notice. Artest is allowed to communicate with his family by telephone, e-mail and letter, with another court hearing scheduled for April 5.

He was arrested March 5 at the family's estate in Loomis, some 25 miles northeast of Sacramento. Artest is accused of grabbing, pushing and slapping his wife. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges of battery and corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime.

Artest has since apologized to his family and his teammates at a news conference. He's played in seven games since the incident, averaging 18.7 points and 6.0 rebounds, but the Kings are 1-6 in those games.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I guess when you're nuts, you're nuts.

[ABN]

I guess when you're nuts, you're nuts.

trying to spend more time with your family is nuts? that´s one of the best reasons anyone could possibly have to retire.

[Antonio_]

The question is: do you believe in him?

[ABN]

The question is: do you believe in him?

not really lol, but if he were to retire coz he wanted to spend more time with his famly i´d applaud his decision. coz it takes a real person to walk away from a shitload of money and fame just to be able to chill with your fam everyday.

[Juronimo]

This is the guy so many Laker fans wanted to trade Odom for. Thank God that never happened.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

LOL@thinking this is rational...Dude is a BUM.

[GangstaBoogy]

Pretty much nothing surprises me when it comes to him anymore. Such a great player, but his off the court behavior is Anna Nicole Smith-esque.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Ron Artest-F-Kings Mar. 26 - 11:00 am et

According to an unnamed source, Ron Artest plans to play overseas for a year or two, in an effort to get away from his problems and the U.S. media, with hopes of returning to the NBA at some point down the line if he does in fact retire at season's end.

Artest recently sent a text message to most of the Kings telling them he was retiring at the end of the season. His off court problems were a mess prior to this season, and the list has gotten worse this year, from his dog being seized by the county in late January to his March 5 arrest on domestic violence charges. He's currently in New York to meet with the league's security team regarding the latest charges, but should be fine to play the rest of this season. After that, it's anyone's guess.
Source: Sacramento Bee



LOL.

[Citizen-Y]

Sacramento just HAD to trade Peja.  Good more Petrie!

[Antonio_]

I've seen Kings-Suns. Great game by him. Damn why is the dude such a moron? He's a wonderful defensive player.

[Lunatic]

if this indeed happens:

there truly is a GOD

[Fuck Your Existence]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2813258

[herpes]

I've seen Kings-Suns. Great game by him. Damn why is the dude such a moron? He's a wonderful defensive player.

hes not a moron, the guy is seriously nuts, everyone in NY has known this since his days at st.johns

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Artest: 'I'm not retiring'

ESPN.com news services

The Sacramento Kings' Ron Artest backtracked Monday from his comments to teammates about retiring at season's end, telling ESPN's Stephen A. Smith in a radio interview that he has no immediate plans to leave the game.

Appearing via phone on Smith's show on ESPN Radio 1050 in New York, Artest insisted: "I'm not retiring."

Citing club sources, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported Saturday that Artest told multiple teammates he wanted to retire at season's end.

Artest told Smith during Monday's interview that he shared his retirement thoughts with selected teammates because he missed his kids, but never expected his intentions to create a media storm so quickly. Artest has been indefinitely restricted to telephone and e-mail contact with his three children after a March 5 domestic dispute with wife Kimsha that resulted in Artest's arrest.

After news of Artest's retirement musings spread Sunday, Kings forward Corliss Williamson told The Sacramento Bee that Artest sent text messages to several teammates about retiring when this season is over. The possibility of the eight-year veteran walking away from the Kings after the season to focus on family life was also raised over the weekend at hiphopgame.com, where Artest has been posting journal entries this season.

In a message e-mailed Monday night to ESPN.com, Artest said: "All these statements about retirement and going overseas were made because I am weakened by not being around my family. When I am not playing basketball, it's hard not having them around me.

"I thank my teammates, coaches, [the] Kings' organization and the NBA and Sacramento King fans for being supportive at a time when it's needed most. I love Sacramento and [I'm] looking forward to the playoffs."

In Monday's radio interview, Artest elaborated by saying: "I don't plan to retire. [But] when you don't have your kids around, you can get a little bit vulnerable, a little weak."

This is hardly the first time an early retirement story has surfaced with Artest. Before and after his 73-game suspension with Indiana during the 2004-05 season, Artest suggested numerous times publicly that he could be content without the NBA in his life.

Few league observers believed him then and similar skepticism -- inside and outside the Kings' organization -- greeted his latest sentiments, even though Artest clearly has much to consider off the floor.

Artest pleaded not guilty on Thursday to four misdemeanor charges stemming from this month's domestic dispute, which follows a January incident in which Placer County officials seized a dog from his home. The Bee reported Sunday night on its Web site that Artest would be in New York on Monday to meet with league officials regarding the misdemeanor charges against him.

The Bee also reported that Artest met with Kings president Geoff Petrie after Sunday's home victory over Phoenix to discuss the retirement talk.

"He's under a lot of scrutiny and at a point, really, in his own career where he needs to be a better keeper of his own soul in some ways," Petrie told the newspaper. "We'll assess in the context of the whole season where we go [with Artest from here]. But again, it's sort of Ron being Ron."

The 27-year-old has two seasons left on his contract after this one, both at a salary of $7.4 million. Artest has the option to terminate the contract after next season and enter the free-agent market in July 2008.