Today Show: Delusional Artest Fails to Apologize, Says "It's Time to Move On"

The Today Show | governsleast governsbest

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Today scored a major exclusive this morning with the first TV interview of NBA player Ron Artest, who as FReepers who've spent the last week on the other side of the moon might not know, has been suspended for the remainder of the season for charging into the stands and attacking fans.

This is a case in which mere words, even a verbatim transcript, would be insufficient to fully convey the full flavor of the interview.

In a follow-up interview, NBA Players' Union head Billy Hunter acknowledged to Katie that Artest was "not very articulate."

But that does not begin to convey the situation. It is not simply that Artest is incapable of clearly expressing his thoughts. It's that his thoughts are so deeply detached from reality. I can only conclude that he suffers from a significant learning disability, a severe psychological disorder, or more likely, some combination of the two.

For in all his words and emotions, it was clear that Artest has absolutely no concept of the gravity of the situation or of his role in it.

You'll find below highlights of the interview, conducted by Matt Lauer, but I again stress their inability to fully describe just how detached from reality was Artest.

Let's begin by observing that he never apologized. The closest he came was at the beginning of the interview when he said "I wish it never happened, it wasn't good for anyone." But wishing something hadn't happened is, of course, a million miles from accepting responsibility for the fact that it did, and from apologizing to those who have been harmed or offended.

Artest then stated that NBA Commissioner "David Stern has been good to me but I don't think the number of games of the suspension [73 - the remainder of the season] is fair."

Why does Artest think the length of the suspension is unfair? Because "I want to help the league improve its image." Right. Just the person anyone would choose as its image-makeover expert - Ron Artest.

Far from admitting that he has become, in the wake of Dennis Rodman's retirement, the #1 face of everything that is wrong with the NBA, Artest tried to portray himself as some kind of good-will ambassador. "I've been working real hard and putting forth a number of positive things."

Artest then actually held up the CD he has been working to produce, the one for which he announced last week that he wanted to take a couple months off from his team to devote himself to. "It's about love," said Artest of the CD.

Artest then tried to make light of his past suspensions for violent behavior. In one of those cases, he had smashed a TV camera while leaving the court. "I need that camera. I paid $100,000 for it [in fines] and didn't get a piece of it." Apparently he thought that humor was the appropriate emotion for the day.

Artest then boasted of the fact that "I never harmed anyone." Makes you wonder what he was trying to do when he was throwing haymakers at fans in the stands?

Asked to explain why he went into the stands, Artest statede: "I was frustrated. The tape speaks for itself."

He continued, describing the situation when he was lying on a table at courtside and was hit by a cup of beer: "It was just like 'wow, a cup and a beer,' it almost hit my eye. It was like 'wow.'"

Lauer: "Did it pop into your mind that 'I've crossed a line'?"

Revealing the extent of his self-delusion, Artest replied:

"I think I'm pretty disciplined. You can answer the questions from the tape."

The camera then zoomed in on the t-shirt he was wearing. It bore the legend "tru warier" [sic] with a crouched basketball player forming the letter 'a'. I wonder which PR genius suggested he go on the show wearing that, or did this flow from Artest's own brilliant mind?

As to what should be the reaction to the incident, Artest, in the depths of his delusion, advised: "I think we just move on. Things happen and you just move on."

Lauer: "What would you say to kids who saw the incident?"

Artest: "They saw disrespect from the crowd and reaction from a frustrated player. I would tell them that sometimes things happen and you just have to move on."

Throughout the interview, Artest wore a smile and a "what-me-worry?" expression. He clearly had no clue as to the seriousness of his actions or the implications for himself or his profession.

Then it was on to Katie's interview of NBA union head Billy Hunter, a former player himself. It seemed clear that, off camera, Hunter had been horrified by what Artest said and how he expressed himself.

Katie tried to call him on it, saying "I watched you during the interview." But Hunter would not admit to what his true reaction had been. Instead, he claimed that Artest had apologized. Katie called him on it: "is that what you heard?"

Backtracking somewhat, Hunter then acknowledged that "obviously he's not very articulate." Hunter asserted that the punishment was "a bit excessive. He should have been required to attend anger management and allowed to come back after the All Star break."

Katie jumped: "But isn't he already in anger management?"

Hunter: "Not really, he's gone through it in the past but not in it now."

It was clear that Katie was shocked and disturbed by what Artest said and how he said it. There was a sense that she and Matt were embarrassed by what they had witnessed.

In any case, the image clearly emerges of a Ron Artest with only the flimsiest connection to reality. A suspension of a year is not long enough if, as is apparently the case, he has no concept gravity of the situation.

The interview was a disaster for the NBA and for Artest personally, and offered a revealing and troubling insight into the problems of our society at large.

[WakeUpAndVote]

My Bad.

It was the two arrows above it. They threw me off.

In fact they made me angry, so angry I just have to rap about angry people and M&M's with different colors and....

Oh, sorry, anger management class for me. /sarcasm

[YaYa123]

no, that's what was surprising... this wasn't a replay of the TODAY Show MSNBC's blonde morning anchor did the interview.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Huh! That's very interesting. I wonder who, if anyone, is advising him. Any other additional interesting comments by Artest, or just more of the same incoherence and refusal to accept blame?

[YaYa123]

She asked the same questions you described, and at the very end, she did not object nor interrupt, when he held up his CD and gave what I'd guess to be a 20 second advertisement. After his pitch, she thanked him.

[zeaal]

Wonder what Mr. Bill Cosby has to say of the basketbrawl?

[truthseeker2]

"They seem to miss the fact that their "HERO" was dissed THREE times by Wallace and the best their "HERO" could do was to attack a drunk fan."

And he didn't even attack the fan that threw the beer cup. He went after the smaller guy with glasses. Man, he's one tough guy! Artest is nothing more than a sorry punk who thinks since he's "a man" he can do whatever he wants without consequence. I say the NBA should get rid of him permanently, and universities need to give scholarships to "student athletes" not just athletes.

[Ignatz]

What an incredible, inspiring story!. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[miele man]

As far as "guidance" and "telling his story", he apparently is getting little or none; therefore, I suspect that Jeff Feiger, Kevorkian's lawyer and the attorney for two folks that Artest allegedly assaulted in the Detroit melee, is taping all of Artest's comments to use against him in civil court. If he is getting legal advice or marketing advice telling him to "get out in front of this", then his advisors are every bit as deluded as he is.

[mhking]

From my site this afternoon:

---

Clueless Artest refuses to apologize

A semi-intelligible Ron Artest appeared on NBC's Today Show this morning, and demonstrated that he clearly has no clue of the magnitude of his wrong-doing. To hear him tell it during the interview with Matt Lauer, he didn't do anything wrong.

Artest then boasted of the fact that "I never harmed anyone." Makes you wonder what he was trying to do when he was throwing haymakers at fans in the stands?

Asked to explain why he went into the stands, Artest statede: "I was frustrated. The tape speaks for itself."

He continued, describing the situation when he was lying on a table at courtside and was hit by a cup of beer: "It was just like 'wow, a cup and a beer,' it almost hit my eye. It was like 'wow.'"

Lauer: "Did it pop into your mind that 'I've crossed a line'?"

Revealing the extent of his self-delusion, Artest replied:

"I think I'm pretty disciplined. You can answer the questions from the tape."

Artest did not apologize, and spent the latter part of the interview trying to hype his upcoming rap CD, claiming that he hoped the girls (the group Allure, who's CD he's producing) aren't hurt by this.

Artest insists that the suspension levied by NBA Commissioner David Stern was too harsh, and says the he hopes to be back by playoff time -- as if the Pacers now have anything beyond a snowball's chance in hell of making the playoffs in the first place.

He claims that once he comes back that he can "help the League improve its image."

Don't mind the cynical chuckle from me. After all, Artest only has been suspended from games every year for the period he's been in the League due to his volatility. Never mind that he was actually benched 12 games in high school due to his volatility.

It's painfully obvious that this is a man with major impulse control issues. And sadly it's painfully obvious to everyone except Ron Artest.

[1Old Pro]

Let me guess, he's kinda sorry but it's more other people's fault than his own.

[iceskater]

Wow, what a great story! Thanks for sharing it.

[NittanyLion]

Boston Bruins forward Stan Jonathan was hit in the face by an object thrown by a fan, and right wing Terry O'Reilly was harassed by a stick-wielding fan at the end of a 4-3 victory at the New York Rangers. Several Boston players, including O'Reilly and Mike Milbury, went into the stands to fight with spectators. Milbury removed a shoe from a fan and beat him with it.

Thanks for the info - I am too young to remember that game. Clearly the NBA hasn't cornered the market on bad behavior (see Todd Bertuzzi). That said, in general NHL players seem to conduct themselves with a little more humility and decorum off the ice than I see of NBA players off the court. (No doubt some may think I'm a racist, but nothing could be further from the truth.)

[Time is now]

I agree with your premise.

From your handle I would assume you have some knowledge of State College? I had an office there on East College Ave, next to Hicky distributors. What a town!!

[NittanyLion]

Yep - I spent four years there. I had friends who lived in a house right in the area where your office must've been located.

I hope to live in State College again one day. It's a fantastic place to live...

[Petronski]

Something of a bigot, aren't you?

[Capt.YankeeMike]

REF: your post #4....I had the same thought a while back...we here in Indiana love our B-Ball teams...Knight became an embarrassement...and now this...
The Capt.

[Lou L]

suspect that Jeff Feiger, Kevorkian's lawyer and the attorney for two folks that Artest allegedly assaulted in the Detroit melee, is taping all of Artest's comments to use against him in civil court.

I have no doubt that Feiger is doing just that, which makes me despise him--Feiger--even more. But that's another issue.

Perhaps Artest IS receiving counsel, and maybe some attorney's strategy is to have Artest go out and make as big a fool of himself as possible...maybe even say such outlandish comments such as, "I'm innocent!" and "Buy my new CD!"

Then, Artest's attorneys can plead insanity.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

what a great story....it reminds me of Paul D "Tony" Hinkle here at Butler University in Indy...he always asked me how my curve was coming along...he knew EVERY player, baseball, basketball, football (and Butler used to be D-I in football, so theres 40 players right there) track, golf, you name it. He came to almost everyone of ALL of the games in ALL sports..he hung out in the laundry room in the basement of Hinkle field house....

[uncitizen]

just curious: was Artests lawyer present during the KC interview?