Ron Ron Update

Ron Artest is still being his crazy old self. He recently did a radio interview with 790 The Ticket in Miami while he was chilling in China with this homegirl Shin Shin. I must say, all of this hanging out with Shin Shin is starting to make me question his earnestness in giving a shout out to relationships. Anyhow, there was more than a few entertaining moments, most notably him talking about sneaking into the White House and rejecting Obama, who was going for a lay-up. He also gives his phone number away on air. Here are some transcripts from Sports Radio Interviews thanks to Tas Melas of The Basketball Jones.

On mimicking Shaq and showing up to the White House uninvited:

“I actually snuck in the White House one time. I seen Barack Obama playing basketball. I snuck in the back, and he tried to go up for a lay-up and I blocked his shot and ran out. And, Secret Service was trying to catch me and they couldn’t catch me. I promise you, they couldn’t catch me. (Host: You snuck in the White House and you blocked Obama’s shot?) Blocked Obama’s shot; fullcourt block, get it outta here (laughs).”

On trying to be more popular than Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming in China:

“I’m not trying to compete with them on that level but I’m definitely trying to reach out to the fans, and as you know, I gave my number to all the fans in China, a lot of people in China’s calling me. So, I’m definitely trying to do things different from other people. I get called at all times at night, people just calling my phone, calling for Shin Shin, and just wanna talk, and I answer the phone and talk. I can talk to anybody from someone in jail to just somebody, a nice kid who’s going to school. I spoke to a little 8-year-old kid the other day, he was so happy I answered the phone.”

On playing with the Lakers:

“The opportunity was unbelievable. I get a chance to play with Kobe, Michael Jordan’s my favorite player, Kobe’s probably the closest person to Michael Jordan, so I get to kind of relive that whole Chicago Bulls thing growing up, that was my favorite team. So, Phil Jackson, you got Kobe Bryant, you got myself at the three like Scottie Pippen, you have a clutch shooter in Derek Fisher like a Steve Kerr, you have Lamar Odom like a Toni Kukoc, it’s just fun, it’s a dream. I thank God so much to be in this situation, get a chance to win, playing with the defending champs, and I’m in LA ’cause you know I love the spotlight.”

Some quotes that amused me:

Ron is discussing how he was surprised by how metropolitan Beijing was, and that he was expecting something more like a Bruce Lee film. When the radio host asks if he was expecting to see temples, Artest replies, "I thought it was just temples and just people probably floating in the air on mats and things like that, y' know?"

When the radio host mentions that Shaq practiced martial arts while in China, Artest says something about Shaq Fu and how that's more of Shaq's thing. Although he does go on to say that, "[he] would like to be like a, y' know, like a panther ninja type of person. That would be kinda cool."

He also does a verse from a song he's written for the Lakers and champions in general aptly titled "Champions." Here's a sample of the verse:

I'm in the spotlight when they turn the lights down
Only a champ swing the hardest in the 12th round
I love the 4th quarter
I love the 9th inning
I love game 7
Bring on the competition
'Cuz in my heart can't nobody do it better
Can't slow me down, won't stop me never
I'm so Cassius Clay
I'm Tyson in his prime
You're little league with it
I'm Barry Bonds with mine

Considering the subject of my previous Artest update, I found it especially funny that he says he loves game 7.

Ron Artest's phone number is 832-361-0108

Listen to Ron Artest on 790 The Ticket in Miami