CBS Sports: Artest Wants Shot At NFL
Ken Berger
EL SEGUNDO – Nope, never a dull moment with Ron Artest.
In an interview airing later this week on CBSSports.com, Artest revealed that he intends to try out for an NFL team when his contract with the Lakers is up after the 2013-14 season. Artest, who taped the interview at the Lakers' practice facility on Saturday, his 31st birthday, already has divulged that he's been training for a second career as a heavyweight boxer when his basketball days are over. Little did we know that there's another professional sport Artest wants to try.
Then again, knowing him, of course there is.
"God willing, after my NBA career, God willing I'm still athletic enough – which I'm trying to take care of my body as best as possible and be prepared for this day, for this tryout of an NFL team," Artest said. "... It's a fantasy of mine. It's an opportunity because I'm athletic. So if that fantasy can be fulfilled, and if it's something that can really be reached as far as a goal, I'm going for it."
In the wide-ranging interview, which can be viewed in its entirety later this week on CBSSports.com, Artest also discussed his motivation behind auctioning off his championship ring to raise money and awareness in a personal crusade against mental illness; how he might feel if he sees the Celtics and Jermaine O'Neal in the NBA Finals, given that he feels like a "coward" in the presence of former Pacers teammates after the infamous Palace brawl in 2004; and his personal battle with alcohol.
"I do sip occasionally," said Artest, who last season admitted that he used to drink Hennessy at halftime during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. "But the impressive thing for me is, I don't even want a drink sometimes. ... During the season and during August and during training camp, I try to stay away from it. And the more I stayed away from it, the more I'd forget that I actually want to drink."
Artest, who helped the Lakers win their second straight championship last season, said he's raised more than $500,000 selling raffle tickets at $2 each – with a minimum purchase of five tickets – for the ring he spent 11 years pursuing. The winner will be determined on Christmas Day, before the Lakers play the Miami Heat, with the proceeds going to mental health charities.
