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"This is not the place to goof around" - Kobe Bryant warned Ron Artest when he became a Lakers player
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- "This is not the place to goof around" - Kobe Bryant warned Ron Artest when he became a Lakers player
Prior to joining the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 off-season, Ron Artest possessed a reputation that only a few figures in NBA history had. Famously, before he changed his name to Metta World Peace, he was known as a volatile, uncontrollable and controversial player who lacked the ability to control his behavior and boundaries when it came to anger.
Although he was a well-established player on the defensive end, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004, his legacy was stained and vastly overshadowed by the memorable "Malice at the Palace" brawl, which resulted in a historic 73-game suspension.
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After his controversial reputation had already been dissected, despite his talent and basketball capabilities, franchises didn't want to take the risk of having Artest on their team. He frequently got into massive clashes and outbursts with team ownership, demanded trades and had problematic off-court antics.
After his contract with the Houston Rockets had concluded, however, Artest would get his lucky break. After Trevor Ariza left the Lakers, who helped them win the 2009 title against the Orlando Magic , the franchise desperately needed a replacement for their defensive wing next to Kobe Bryant . Not long after, they called up Ron as their go-to guy.
Despite his erratic behavior, the Lakers saw it as a no-brainer, since it was publicly known that Artest had already deeply respected Kobe for his work ethic and mentality.
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Bryant set the record straight for Artest
After a warm welcome to L.A., Bryant immediately approached Artest to confront him on both his impact and behavior. After all, the Lakers had only one goal in mind: to repeat and continue to build on their championship environment.
"The first time I saw him when he joined our team," said Bryant. "I told him, 'Listen. You're coming in here to replace a player that was like a brother to me and still is to this day. Trevor came in and played lights out for us. He didn't miss a three in the playoffs, he was tenacious on defense and showed up to work every single day. Came to practice early, stayed after practice late. This is who you're coming in to replace.'"
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"So, I better not get any bulls—t from you. It was really that direct and him understanding this is not the place to goof around or act out, anything like that. I'm expecting you to be extremely sharp and extremely crisp, not any other way."
It's safe to say that both Bryant and coach Phil Jackson managed to set the tone for Artest, as the gamble would pay off for the Lakers after they went back-to-back, beating the Boston Celtics in next year's Finals, which was a tough seven-game series.
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The ultimate payoff
During their repeat Finals run, Artest was utilized as the team's ultimate enforcer, embodying the blueprint of Dennis Rodman to scrap for every loose ball, be a pest on defense and fight for every rebound.
With that, Jackson knew how to deal with Ron off the court, allowing him to completely be himself, while demanding that he was hyper-focused on the hardwood in return.
In Game 7 of the finals, however, he would have his moment. Kobe went through immense shooting struggles due to a broken index finger on his shooting hand, which allowed Artest to step up and display a memorable 20-point performance, highlighted by an iconic three-point dagger to secure the title.
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His example is a clear predication of how even a loose cannon like Artest can be transformed into a championship player through leadership and accountability.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
