Road Trippin' With Tru Wariers

An article on the road with Ron Artest during his tour with Ludacris. i was amused.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=alipour/061005

Highlights:

"Ah, Ron Artest, our forgotten son," says Eric of the former Indiana Pacer. "I only want to know one thing: Is he crazy?"

"If I just focus on basketball, wow, I'd be so much better," Artest confesses. "I'd be a hell of a player."

So the guy has his hands in a few cookie jars. No big deal. I ask him about his top goal, his end-all moment.

"I'll put my feet on the table when I make a good album," Artest says. "All I care about is for people to like my music, whether I sell 10,000 records or a million."

Cool. But you've got some sports goals, right?

"It'll take five or six years of training, but I want three or four pro boxing fights," he says. "And I want to play in the NFL for one or two years, for the love, not even for a check."

So, screw it, I'll cut to the chase: Are you crazy?

"I know that's what they say," he says, laughing. "But we're all crazy. When white people have fun, what do they do? They drink and bang their heads and they grab you and go, 'Come on, Ron! Let's go!' I'm like, 'Now, these mother------- is crazy.'

"But that's how white people grew up," he says. "We're all crazy."

Artest admits he's got some pills for his brand of crazy, dating back to his days with the Bulls.

Artest's new rule: Smokers of strange substances to the front of the H2, Ron and I in the back with the window open. Of course, with his partition open, Artest's new decree assures that the driver will operate under a haze of smoke, and if I'm feeling unsteady back here, that dude must be a wobbly mess. What's worse, I can't find a single seat belt.

Artest is sitting before the tube, watching the Disney Channel's "Simone."

"I wanted to call Lauer something else," he continues. "But I didn't want to curse. Whenever rappers curse up a storm, I'm like, 'OK, we heard you the first time.'"

That's right, the baddest dude in the NBA isn't prone to cursing -- and neither is his album.

Back on the road, Ron's working the tunes but he's out of CDs, so we're listening to a toxic mix of Willie Nelson and Clay Aiken.

"Even if the NBA suspended me for the rest of my career, I'm good," he continues. "I believe in God, and as long as you have God and family, you're good." ~ Artest