Back when the Rockets and Lakers exchanged Ron Artest(notes) and Trevor Ariza(notes), a lot of people wondered how Artest would fit in with Los Angeles. Not only were there worries for how his particular talents — defense, bumping people, dribbling a lot before shooting — would work on court, but also how he would hold up under the brighter lights that come from playing in a major media market.
Turns out there was nothing to worry about. Ron-Ron was a big part of the Lakers’ second straight championship, and off the court has been an even better fit. Whether it be delightfully crazy postgame interviews, releasing not-bad rap songs or just generally being a benevolent weirdo, Artest has charmed all those fans he used to antagonize. In fact, he’s charmed them to the point that they’re even inviting him to play dodgeball with them. Thankfully, he said yes.
