Ron Artest Shares Paul Pierce’s Trash Talk Techniques From NBA Finals

Ron Artest doesn’t think he’s crazy — he simply thinks he grew up in a crazy world.

That’s at least what he said in his bizarre interview in ESPN The Magazine this month, for which he served as guest editor. Among the many topics he covered (drinking problems, anger problems, selfishness problems, sadness while watching Titanic problems) was the trash talking that went on between him and Paul Pierce in the NBA Finals.

“Against the Celtics in the Finals, Tony Allen got in my face, but I don’t got the time for Tony Allen,” Artest said. “Now, if you’re a star and you’re talking trash, I’ll talk back. All series long, Paul Pierce was talking: ‘You’re a bum, you can’t score, you can’t guard me, I’m busting your ass.’ Everything.”

Artest seemed to be willing to just let the numbers do the talking for him.

“Shut down Paul Pierce. Three years straight, Paul Pierce is shooting 40.8 percent against Ron Artest,” he said. “So, go ahead, tell me I’m slower. Tell me I can’t play defense. Thank you.”

Artest also offered a bit of an explanation (sort of) for his stirring rendition of “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion‘s track from Titanic:

“When [Leonardo] DiCaprio is trying to save the young lady, that was dope. … When I saw the baby in the water, frozen? I cried a little, but mostly I was pissed. I’d just had my daughter, so when I saw that frozen baby, I was like, ‘What the — !? That’s bull– !’ And let’s not forget about Celine Dion. That woman is unbelievable. You know how much I love my music? Well, I wouldn’t put out a song for 10 years if that meant I could put out a song with her. Her voice sounds like pure fresh air. It sounds like what it sounded like when the world was created.”