http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=230127014

I saw the highlights on TV,this guy is becoming the biggest thug in the league.

he's not all there. glad we didn't draft him for all his talent.

what an idiot. this could ruin his chances of EVER making an all- star roster. he will get tagged throughout his career like spree. you don't lunge after a head coach, assisstant and otherwise.

"glad we didn't draft him for all his talent."-I might've misread that, but if that's saying you're happy the Knicks didn't draft Artest, that's the dumbest thing I've ever read on this board. Artest would be the best player on the Knicks, and because he plays with intensity and fire people label him a "thug." Please, give me a break.

No,Id label a thug as someone who goes over to the opposing coach and sticks his forearm in his chest,who flashes the double bird in midcourt,who trashes 100k cameras because he lost.Ive seen Oakley
do some thuggish things and didnt complain so I see your point but
but most of that involved stopping people in the paint,artest is
going beyond that and making the league look like the WWF.

"When a tv monitor hits the floor, there's a chance of the tube shattering and causing injuries to thoses around it.

That's more than just "playing with intensity" - that's being out of control."-When he smashed the camera, he said he did it because he was so fed up with how he played that he lost control. That's a direct result of the game, he's not a raving lunatic who breaks things.

Once again, I'd rather have him and his being a "thug" or whatever anybody wants to call it than a lackadaisical Allan Houston. Any day of the week. I met Artest several times when he was going into his sophomore season at SJU at a basketball camp and he's one of the nicest people I've ever met, on the court is a different story because he wants it so bad. Read the ESPN article about him or take it from me becuase I met him, he's not a madman, he just plays harder then anybody.

I believe you smooth.Off the court he sounds like a nice guy and even
the article mentions that but on the court he is acting like a thug.
If he can control his temper he is going to have a great career but
if he cant he is going to be missing alot of games due to suspension
and bringing alot of unecessary grief on himself. I agree,Id rather
have his passion for the game than Houston's thats for sure.

I MEANT what I wrote, that I'm happy that he did not get drafted. what if we drafted him and he assaulted Allan Houston for not giving 100% effort?

Who cares if he threw the camera and that it didn't hurt anyone? What if it hit a child accidentally and they died? It was a possibility. There WERE a LOT of people there when he did that.

Artest is not in control of himself. He needs help, counseling and Rx's. Take it from a doctor in training (me).

Artest is not OK, and it's not OK to have things just be in complete chaos at his whim and excuse it by saying he has "passion" or "fire" or "intensity."

Have you guys ever heard of a guy named Kobe or Tracy McGrady? Those guys have passion, fire, and intensity. Artest is simply not sane. He doesn't understand how the world works. He doesn't know what's real or not.

"Who cares if he threw the camera and that it didn't hurt anyone? What if it hit a child accidentally and they died? It was a possibility. There WERE a LOT of people there when he did that."-This is ridiculous. Suppose it hit a kid who died. Yeah, that'd be awful, what if when Shaq chases a loose ball he jumps over the stands and lands on a pregnant woman and crushes the fetus, yeah that'd be horrible too.

I'll be the first to admit that Artest has an anger problem, but the man is sane. I've had conversations with him and played with him, he's very sane.

"Artests is just an idiot. He think his little act is gonna make him look tough. When he's just a baby. Hes wannabe thug, he wants to act so hard."-I don't know what that rambling is, but he never looks for attention in his actions. Anybody with a clue who's watching these games knows how hard he plays. For you to say he plays hard because he's a wannabe thug is ridiculous, he has, what, one tatoo, wears no jewelry, and isn't loud and obnoxius. Yeah, that's a real thug image. Please, he's this year's Kenyon Martin.