Classic Ron Artest at Lakers Press Conference

During his press conference, new Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest talks about keeping his promise to Kobe Bryant and joining his longtime friend, Lamar Odom to play for the NBA champions under legend Phil Jackson.

Watch Ron Artest – Lakers Press Conference

Artest, who played for the Houston Rockets last season, received a five-year deal worth about $33 million, according to his agent, David Bauman.  “This was a long time coming,” Artest said. “As I started to compete against the Lakers and against Kobe Bryant, I had respect for him and I always wanted to be a teammate of his.”

On a day when many reporters were asking him how he much he’s truly changed from his Indiana days of punching people in the stands, Ron Artest calmly provided many new punch-lines for people to mull over (the tickling variety as opposed to the one that bleeds and swells). To say the least, it was very entertaining. It may not have been as extravagant as most of Shaq’s previous press conferences, but the constant stream of random one-liners that flowed from the jovial and upbeat Artest sure made it seem like the newest Laker had taken some comedic lessons from the Big…Whatever.

Make no mistake about it, coming from a guy that Lakers fans had once always hated and been wary about for so long because of his bad boy image, past history, and annoying bouts of showboating -- it’s hard to decipher Ron Artest during such celebratory, formal speaking engagements such as this when he’s seemingly always on his best behavior, ready to put his best face forward. Here are some quotable highlights

*  On winning his teammates and coaching staff over: “I gotta win myself over. Make sure I work on myself this summer -- come back in tip top condition. He’s right. It’s not a given that just because you add me to a team.”
* “Last couple years, Kobe’s really been devoted to defense. And I respect him even more now. He’s not gambling as much. He’s more focused on stand-still defense.”
* “They’re a tough team. I thought they were tougher than Boston. I’m a Laker fan. When they were struggling against Boston, I felt bad.”
* “My priorities are straight now -- play ball first. And then everything comes second.”
* On having doubters and the pressure that comes with being a Laker -- “That’s great pressure to have. I want people to come down on me. That’s why I like having Kobe, he likes the pressure. I like to prove that I can be
* “They love their team. The fans are so confident. The fans are tellin’ me, “are you ready to get your ring?” They know they’re going to win. That’s a great feeling.”