Ron Artest: 'I used to drink Hennessy at halftime'

[Jbro]

Some athletes drink Gatorade, others prefer water. Ron Artest once had his own unique halftime beverage of choice.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Sporting News, the mercurial Lakers forward admitted he used to drink alcohol during halftime of games played when he was with the Chicago Bulls from 1999-2002.

"I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime," Artest says in the interview. "I (kept it) in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it."

In addition to the drinking revelation, Artest — who also called himself "one of the best defenders to ever play basketball" — opened up on a wide variety of topics, including past alcohol and marijuana use while in college at St. John's, the infamous brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in 2004, why he was traded from the Indiana Pacers in 2006 and his belief that NBA referee Joey Crawford cost the Houston Rockets in their seven-game playoff series last season.

No members of the Bulls organization, past or present, were reached for comment in the article.

Artest's former head coach at St. John's, Fran Fraschilla (currently an ESPN college basketball analyst), expressed surprise at Artest's comments about his alcohol and drug abuse while in school.

"It's a surprise because every day at practice, he came out in a mood to play. He came out in a basketball rage," said Fraschilla. "He was fully committed; he wanted to let our upperclassmen know that he was the alpha male. It never came up that he had any sort of a problem with alcohol. This is the first I've heard of it."

more.... http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/10463220/Artest:-%27I-used-to-drink-Hennessy-at-halftime%27

[Panthers128]

this guy is a loser, glad to see he's playing with other losers like odom and bryant.

[Darth Biscuit]

Is this supposed to be shocking or something?

[King Taharqa]

Britneck come in here and tell us how Stephen Jackson is a bigger distraction than Ron Ron. LOL.

[Panthro]

I just gained a ton o' respect for Artest....athletes that can do this and still perform at a high level should be applauded.

[Hotsauce]

It was Cognac Bitccchh!

[Britneck]

Britneck come in here and tell us how Stephen Jackson is a bigger distraction than Ron Ron. LOL.

Ha. You're a fuging idiot. I'll go ahead and post the link for you so you can go through it and show me where i said Stephen Jackson was more of a distraction. It's going to be really hard for you to find. I upset you so much that you just make poo up. haha. Keep trying King T.

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/charlotte-bobcats/24846-trade-for-stephen-jackson-done.html

[King Taharqa]

Britneck the undercover Laker apologist. You said that he was just as big a distraction which is dead wrong. Then you tried to use his incident outside of a strip club as proof he draws attention to himself like Artest. Fact is, Bobcats dont have to worry about Jackson putting quotes out there like this or any of the sideshow antics Ron Artest will feel like he needs to do to fit in to the most glamourous and visible basketball team on the planet. This quote aint even that bad, but its that ATTENTION SEEKING that Artest does which seperates him from Jax.

[Britneck]

Britneck the undercover Laker apologist. You said that he was just as big a distraction which is dead wrong. Then you tried to use his incident outside of a strip club as proof he draws attention to himself like Artest. Fact is, Bobcats dont have to worry about Jackson putting quotes out there like this or any of the sideshow antics Ron Artest will feel like he needs to do to fit in to the most glamourous and visible basketball team on the planet. This quote aint even that bad, but its that ATTENTION SEEKING that Artest does which seperates him from Jax.

What does this even mean? I said they were both distractions. I gave 3 reasons for Jackson not one, and i also said i liked the fact that the Bobcats got him. All i was doing was pointing out how much of a homer you're for Lebron. Because all you do is rag on the lakers all the time but when something similar happens to someone or some team you like it's different. I will agree with you on the attention seeking is what separates them. If Artest played along side Lebron we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[ckad79]

I'm not saying that a player getting drunk is good but Hennessy isn't Miller Lite! Getting drunk is one thing, Hennessy will get you inebriated!

What is Hennessy, like 40% alcohol?

I chug something like Hennessy, you'll spot me sitting at the bar! At best, I might strut around town. BUT to play a physical game of basketball... running up and down the court, defending somebody?

Well...

:puke:

I would love see highlights of him trashed on Hennessy.

[frash.exe]

this guy is a loser, glad to see he's playing with other losers like odom and bryant.

you shut your mouth about odom