In his later years, Michael Jordan was able to enjoy Dennis Rodman by his side. No Kobe has his nut job sidekick too. News broke that the unpredictable and virtually volatile Ron Artest will be signing with the Lakers. Yes, the L.A. freaking Lakers.

In perhaps one of the strangest free-agent happenings, Trevor Ariza and Ron Artest seemingly traded places by signing with each other’s former team. Ariza stunned the Lakers by signing a tender with the crumbling Rockets, while Artest shocked the world by going to L.A.

It’s no secret that Kobe and the Lakers will be the heir apparent to defend their own title in the 2009-10 NBA betting season. Kobe is already turning in to one of the deadliest forces in the league, and his aggression is reaching lethal levels. Flanking Kobe will now be the scariest man in the game – Ron Artest.

Artest made is vehemently clear that he wanted an NBA Championship, and that signing with a champion was going to be his priority. The Cavs were another team that seemed to court him, and Artest would’ve been a tremendous fit in Cleveland. But he did, as usual, what nobody expected of him. He signed with the guy who’s been one of his biggest rivals on the court instead.

Artest agreed in principle to a $33.5 million deal over five years, although there is word that the deal is actually a three year deal worth $18.7 million. No matter how long the Lakers have the fiery Artest, the most pertinent season will be next year. At the age of 29, Artest is in his prime, and the 6-foot-7, 260 pound beast just gave the Lakers a fierce defender who can intimidate and shut down a guy like LeBron James in the NBA Finals.

Originally from Queensbridge, New York, Artest was shunned by NBA teams for attitude problems, especially considering his participation in the “Malice At The Palace of Auburn Hills” a few years ago. After leaving Indiana that year, he traveled to Sacramento where he was a pivotal reason that the Kings were remotely competitive. In 2008-09, Artest signed with Houston and played in 69 games, averaging 17.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. He has been consistently hovering around the 15-5-3 mark his entire career, making him the kind of player that Phil Jackson has wanted.

Of course there are going to be those that are worried about Artest’s penchant for emotional volatility and his attitude problems. Truth is, the guy has matured over the years. There is absolutely no reason the Lakers would covet his skill set given that they just came off an NBA Championship. One thing I am interested in is this – if you watch tape from last year, it’s evident that Kobe was in control of the team. The problem here is that Artest doesn’t like being told what to do. Whether he’ll listen to Black Mamba, and Phil Jackson, will not only be telling of his maturity, but also of the Lakers chances to repeat in the NBA Finals.


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