[h1]Ron Artest says LeBron James should stay with Cleveland Cavaliers, not sign with New York Knicks[/h1]
BY
Mitch Lawrence
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Thursday, June 3rd 2010, 4:00 AM
Ron Artest thinks that when free agency rolls around, LeBron James needs to stay in Cleveland.
LOS ANGELES -
Ron Artest has given
Knicks fans another reason to boo him when he comes into the Garden with the Lakers next season.
On the eve of his first Finals game, Artest said that
LeBron James should not sign with the Knicks.
"He should stay where he is, he should stay in
Cleveland," Artest told the Daily News Wednesday after practice at
Staples Center. "He's done great things in Cleveland. Why leave?"
Artest, 30, was careful to say that he did not tell James to stay away from New York. And he did not repeat his theory from last November, that the Knicks could be hurt in recruiting free agents because marquee players are "so scared of the pressure and the media" in New York.
"I don't know what he's going to do," Artest said. "But he should stay."
That view from a former St. John's player and
Queensbridge product might not sit well with Knicks fans and other New Yorkers who are hopeful that James will come to New York to make the team relevant again.
In an interview with
CNN's
Larry King that airs Friday, James said he gives Cleveland the edge, at this point. But, he also told King that he has not decided what he will do.
Starting on Thursday, Artest will be under pressure to lock down
Paul Pierce, who was Finals MVP in 2008 when the
Celtics pounded the Lakers.
"I thought I'd be playing against LeBron now," Artest said. "Coming into the season, that's how I saw the Finals: Me guarding LeBron. But the Celtics spoiled that."
That's fine with Artest, whose antics should provide for entertaining moments against a Celtic team led by one of the game's top trash-talkers in
Kevin Garnett.
"They've got a lot of aggressive guys who play like I played when I grew up," Artest said. "I played against guys like the Celtics. You got to go in other people's neighborhoods and play basketball and then if you win, you somehow gotta make it out. So it's fun. I don't like playing against nice guys. I don't want to play against guys who touch me and tell me, "Good defense," and be nice to me. It's not fun. Then I get vulnerable, I get weak."
His comment drew laughter, but Artest can say whatever he wants out here these days. He has achieved hero status after his game-winning conversion of a
Kobe Bryant air ball at the end of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals against
Phoenix.
Now, he finds himself four victories from his first ring. So, as a kid, did he always dream of playing in the Finals?
"Actually, when I was a little kid, I didn't want to be in the Finals," he said, drawing more than a few quizzical looks. Then he explained: "I just wanted to watch
Michael Jordan in the Finals. That was fun for me."
