So it's not exactly a surprise that his assessment of former teammate Stephen Jackson's trade demands had an eyebrow-raising moment or two.
"I know he's a friend, a good guy and a good friend," Artest told the East Bay Express in Los Angeles on Sunday. "But I am sure he's going alright. He just wants to win, that's it.
"For me, [my trade demand] was ego. That's it. For Stephen, it's not that at all. I know that for a fact. For me it was more personal and egotistical and just being a bad teammate."
Artest is likely discussing his trade out of Indiana, which seemed more than necessary after the Pacers-Pistons brawl in Detroit in November of 2004. He's since been in the news for just being odd numerous times, including this timeless quote from 2006:
"I told [former teammate Bonzi Wells] if he leaves, then I'm going to kill him. Unless he wants to die, he's got to stay [with the Kings]."
Artest was joking then (probably), but his new perspective on his bumpy past could mean he'll be in a better place this season.
For Artest, that's good news. For the rest of the league? That means look out.
