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Los Angeles Lakers' forward Ron Artest says players could fear pressure playing for New York Knicks

BY Frank Isola
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

LOS ANGELES - Ron Artest believes that the Knicks' 2010 free agency plan has one fatal flaw: many of today's top NBA stars are afraid to play in New York.

"I think people need to stop being scared and go to New York," Artest said Tuesday. "They're scared. They're so scared of the pressure and the media. I'm like, pardon my language, but I'm like, --- the media and --- everybody that's putting pressure on you. That's how I would take that.

"That's why I went to St. John's," Artest continued. "People were like, 'Don't go to St. John's because you don't need the distractions.' I was like, 'I'm going here because I want to go here.' If I wanted to play for the Knicks, I would play because I wanted to play and I wouldn't feel no pressure from anybody."

The Knicks will have enough salary-cap space to sign at least one free agent to a max contract. The hope is that LeBron James will leave Cleveland and sign with the Knicks.

Asked if LeBron could handle New York, Artest said: "I think LeBron can, I know he could."

Artest, famously passed over by the Knicks in the 1999 NBA draft in favor of Frenchman Frederic Weis, was hoping to get a call from Donnie Walsh last summer when he became a free agent. Artest wanted to play for his hometown Knicks. But the Lakers called him at 12:01 a.m. on July1 and "there's really nothing else to think about after that," he said.

"Everybody knows how I feel about New York now," said Artest, who had 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Lakers' win last night. "I was always trying to get there...I love New York. Maybe when my career is over I can go there and probably do something with the organization or something. I don't know. Maybe coach or something."

Coach Ron-Ron? That NEEDS to happen.

Bippity10 wrote:Yeah, this is common knowledge that not everyone can play in NY. Fans and the media can be brutal

you think the fans amd media are brutal....just wait till the knicks learn of the brutality that is spewed against them on ultimate knicks daily....the media is a bunch of flower pickers compared to us.

Bippity10 wrote:Yeah, this is common knowledge that not everyone can play in NY. Fans and the media can be brutal

scorebot too..

nixluva wrote:

Papabear wrote:

Bippity10 wrote:

jimimou wrote:

Bippity10 wrote:Yeah, this is common knowledge that not everyone can play in NY. Fans and the media can be brutal

you think the fans amd media are brutal....just wait till the knicks learn of the brutality that is spewed against them on ultimate knicks daily....the media is a bunch of flower pickers compared to us.

Agreed

Papabear Says

New York is a tough place to play. Thats why Lebron will think about coming to New York but he will stay in Cleveland because Donny Walsh will start playing games should we sign him? yes ahh no ah yes no ah yes ah no.Donnie make up your mind. Don't think that players in the league don't think twice about NY.

You must be joking right? If not you do realize that Lebron is the whole reason we're going thru all this awful basketball. The idea is to keep as much cap space as possible to see if we can lure him.

I don't think that fear will be our problem this time at least not from media and fans. They might fear that we can't put together a winning team, but I think that any FA will come based on how much we can convince them that this is the perfect spot to come to and win a championship. Walsh has to convince FA's that he can not only sign them but will stop at nothing to add the other players needed to win a title. Walsh has 2 things in his corner. More cap space in 2011 and the ability to go over the cap in order to make sure we have all the help the team needs.

Papabear Says

So do we throw games?? Put a less competitive team on the floor but still ask for top dollar at the gate? I used to go to at least 15 games per season. Now my feeling is that until they put a team on the floor that can compete, I won't be paying to go to home games. I would feel like a sucker. and I really don't think that our young players are as good as we think they are. Just compare them to other young teams. Why have a run and gun team that all they can do is throw up bricks and every eighth or ninth game we get lucky and win one. I'm a Knicks die hard but I think that Walsh, D'Antoni, and Dolan are screwing and robbing us.