Ron Artest is a marketing genius.
While some see Artest as a man with deranged psychological problems, I see him as a free soul, willing to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants.
Tuesday, Artest was benched for two games by Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle for unspecified reasons. The next day, Artest claimed he was mentally and physically fatigued from dealing with injuries and the release of his rap album. He asked for a month off, but felt two games were reasonable enough. Indiana went 1-1 during his time off.
Although Artest now claims that he never asked Carlisle for leave specifically for musical purposes, he has used this opportunity to promote his record label, "Tru Warier Entertainment," every chance he gets.
Honestly, before last week, were you even aware Artest had a record label? Now we all know Allure, who hasn't been heard from since 1997, will be releasing their second album with Tru Warier, Nov. 23. Artest's solo rap album will be available to purchase off of his Web site in December. Also, Artest will soon be releasing his own clothing line and shoes in collaboration with L.A. Gear in the near future.
Despite last week's actions and hints at an early retirement, one can't shy away from what the 25-year-old has accomplished. Artest — the recipient of last season's defensive player-of-the-year award — is one of the best all-around players in the NBA and, arguably, the hardest working. He now dons the number 91 jersey in honor of Dennis Rodman.
Recent rumors of a possible trade for Sacramento Kings forward Peja Stojakovic should be ignored, especially if Larry Bird, Indiana's President of Basketball Operations, knows what he's doing.
I would never question what Bird does, but with Artest only earning $6.2 million this season, he is a steal, especially when compared to some of the other, more pricey NBA stars currently in circulation in the League.
Artest might be known as the man who applied for a part-time job at a Chicago area Circuit City his rookie season just to receive an employee discount, or the person who wore four separate brands of sneakers during last year's All-Star game while trying to score a shoe deal, but you should think of Artest as the heart and soul of the Indiana Pacers.