LC
Years ago

"It's my fault if Lakers don't win the title..."

LA Laker's off-season acquisition Ron Artest has copme out in the media to state that if the Lakers don't win the title this coming season - it would be all his fault.

"They won last year, and I'm the new addition. The fans expect to repeat. Everybody in L.A. expects a second ring. And if we don't then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything."

ESPN Link: http://linky.com.au/00ne7

Putting a lot of pressure on himself and his team mates, but I guess then again he has said what most people are probably thinking in any case.

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mystro
Years ago

who in their right mind would throw anything @ Ron after he climbed into the crowd in that Pacers/Pistons game lol

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olskoolgamer
Years ago

Ron is the x-factor. He could push them over the top or destroy them. I am unsure which yet.

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Beantown
Years ago

As a Boston fan, I love that the guy who snapped in Detroit and destroyed a good Indiana team is heaping the pressure on himself to perform. I love even more that he is so egocentrical as to think another title really comes down to him - the 5th best player on the Lakers! Good work Ron, keep jacking up those bad shots next season in the mistaken delusion that your team needs you to put them on your back!

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shin splints
Years ago

Beantown, I think Artest is saying that if the Lakers don't repeat, it is his fault because he is the only change from last years team. So his theory is that if the Lakers cannot repeat, it was due to the Aretest/Ariza 'swap'.

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Beantown
Years ago

Yeah, easy for him to think that way and a good sound byte to give the media. But there are a lot of bigger factors out there affecting who wins the title than how well Ron-Ron plays. How about one of these:
- Kobe or Gasol gets injured
- KG is back to his 2008 self
- The Spurs stay healthy
- Bynum stays healthy and becomes an allstar
- Vinsanity meshes with Orlando
- Shaq gives the Cavs that second offensive option without being too much of a defensive liability
- Oden starts performing like the #1 pick

So there are a lot more important factors in the Lakers winning another title than Artest replacing Ariza. I just hope he really believes what he is saying and puts unnecessary pressure on himself!

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Anonymous
Years ago

C at full strength couldn't beat LA. I'd also like to think Rasheed will kill C's team chemistry and Rondo get injured, Paul Pierce gets significantly slower from old age.

All these talks are stupid.

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Beantown
Years ago

Haha anonymous, you can dream. Wallace will fit right in and is just about as good an insurance policy as you could ask for should KG break down again. Yeh the Celtics lost to the Lakers in the last regular season, but they did not play well in the first one and went down by a point in OT in the other.

Will be awesome to see the Celtics and Lakers go at it again this season with the roster changes, but I think the Celtics have improved much more than the Lakers have this off-season.

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Anonymous
Years ago

your biasness is idiotic

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Quagmire
Years ago

Raises a point about the value of players on a team being different to their value in the NBA.

For example, Ron Ron is a way better player than Ariza. Yet for the team i would argue that having Ariza would be just as good, if not better. He will demand the ball less, defend just as well- and is a better 3pt shooter to boot.

Look at R-Jef at the spurs. History will say he was a better player than Bowen ever was, and they would be right, but in terms of a fit within the team, i'm not sure if i would have Jeff over a prime time Bowen.

Others may insist that the extra bit of talent always comes in handy, especially if injuries happen.

I guess its all case by case.

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Beantown
Years ago

Too true Quag. I reckon Jefferson will be pretty good for the Spurs this year though. Should be a good fit for them and help Ginobili stay healthy.

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Hoops

"It's my fault if Lakers don't win the title..."

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