阿提斯嗆聲了
Artest explains absence: politicsPacers forward says flagrant fouls played a part in his not being selected to U.S. squad.
Indiana Pacer Ron Artest says he wants to play for the U.S. team in future Olympics. -- Sam Riche / The Star
By Mark Montieth
[email protected]
August 25, 2004
Ron Artest watched the U.S. team struggle through the early rounds of Olympic men's basketball competition and saw an obvious remedy.
Ron Artest.
The Indiana Pacers forward said he believes he deserves to be on the team that heads into Thursday's quarterfinal play with a 3-2 record and is in danger of failing to earn a medal.
U.S. teams made up of NBA players had been 24-0 in Olympic competition, but this group struggled to reach the medal round.
"I deserve to be there," Artest said Tuesday.
Artest, speaking from New York, said he's not on the team because of politics. Stu Jackson, who as the NBA's senior vice president of basketball operations has ruled on Artest's fines and suspensions the past two seasons, also is the non-voting chairman of the USA Basketball selection committee.
Artest said he believes Jackson and NBA commissioner David Stern did not want him on the team because of the suspensions and fines for flagrant fouls he's accumulated.
"My ex-agent (Mark Bartelstein) told me they thought I'd do something bad," Artest said.
And what would have happened if Artest were on the team?
"There would be a lot of people being locked down; that's it," he said. "That Puerto Rican guard (Carlos Arroyo, who scored 24 points in a 92-73 victory over the U.S. team) would have been locked down. I would have locked down everybody. That's what would have happened."
Artest was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year and averaged 18.3 points for the Pacers last season. He said he hopes to be asked in future years.
"I'm definitely looking forward to 2008, 2012 and every other year," he said. "It's the biggest tournament in the world. There's nothing bigger than the Olympics."
幾時到呀redd出o黎講下啫 :icon032: 哈
所以rasheed都無份:D And what would have happened if Artest were on the team?
"There would be a lot of people being locked down; that's it," he said. "That Puerto Rican guard (Carlos Arroyo, who scored 24 points in a 92-73 victory over the U.S. team) would have been locked down. I would have locked down everybody. That's what would have happened."
此言甚是 :o
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