Newly acquired Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest will forever be linked in infamy with his former Indiana Pacers’ teammate – current Golden State guard/forward Stephen Jackson.  The two had starring roles in one of the most recognizable incidents in NBA history – “The Palace Brawl.”

So, it should be no surprise that Ron-Ron defended Jackson when asked for his opinion on his boy’s trade request.  But the manner in which he described it could be:

“The greatest did it before — Kobe, the greatest to ever play the game — and he won a championship after that. He wanted to win. He didn’t want out; he wanted to win. Stephen Jackson probably isn’t as talented as the greatest, but he has got as much heart.”

Phil Jackson and the Lakers will be expected to win another title in 2009-2010.

So, there’s no doubt in my mind that Ron Artest doesn’t really think that Bryant is the greatest ever.  But he may honestly feel like Kobe is the greatest player that he has consistently played against.  Artest has always been a player to defend his teammates…and he’ll do just about anything to win.  So it’s not a shocker that Artest lets the best player on the team (and possibly the NBA) feel that he already has his full respect.

Playing on a team with a player the caliber of Kobe is probably a good thing for Artest – and a good thing for that team.  Ron-Ron has a history of monopolizing the ball and taking poor shots on teams where he is decisively (or indecisively) the best player.  Artest should be focused and ready to play on a nightly basis since he’s part of a team expected to compete for another NBA championship.  He’s even went as far as making it plain that if L.A. doesn’t win, everyone should point the finger at him.  But with his volatile past seemingly behind him, I’m sure that he’s simply ready to achieve something bigger and better.

Even if it means doing some butt-kissing.

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