Artest: "I drank booze at halftime of NBA games"

Artest admits drinking, blasts ref

Ron Artest, the often-controversial Los Angeles Lakers forward, told a magazine interviewer he used to drink alcohol at halftime of NBA games.

"I used to drink Hennessy ... at halftime," Artest said in an interview with the Sporting News, which is publishing the story in its Dec. 7 issue. "I [kept it] in my locker. I'd just walk to the liquor store and get it."

Hennessy is a French cognac.

"When I was a 19-year-old father, whew. I was a single pimp! I was wild," he told the magazine. "A lot of marijuana and alcohol -- even before [that age]. ... I [still] party and I have fun, but not like I used to. I used to drink every night and party every night."

That explains everything

Yeah, I don't have any trouble believing it. Artest sure loves attention though.

Yeah no kidding, he really does come across as a media whore. Drinking at halftime does seem very unprofessional though, he can be a real idiot at times, but like you said I guess it does explain a lot.

I'm interested to know the amount he drinks. I wont be surprise if he admit to smoking weed during half time too.

That might be a little harder to get away with.

I'm still interested to know how much he drinks during half time though.

Nothing now from the sounds of it. Probably not nearly enough to be falling down drunk when he did, though.

The X once told me that drinking helps your game but once you're past a certain point it doesn't. Not that he drinks before games.

I thought that only applied to pool?

Anyone see his interview on Jimmy Kimmel? The guy is definitely wired a little differently than the rest of us for sure.

i think i heard him say that before in one of his unsuccessful rap songs.

If he did that during the 02-04 seasons, no reason to not let him do it again this season.

Lakers’ Artest spoke about drinking to help others

Artest also said he only made his admissions because he plans to begin a youth program in Los Angeles in which he’ll teach others about managing the dangers and temptations of young adulthood.

“I understand I’m in a situation where I have to be a role model,” said Artest, who has discussed his in-game drinking in speeches to at-risk youth in the past four years. “I’m just in that situation, so that’s something I’m working towards. It’s not something I’m running from, but I have to tell people what I’ve been through, because when it comes up later, I’m not going to want it to be a shock. I tell people what I’ve been through, and I think it’ll help me be more of a role model for the future.”

Fair enough, if some good can come of it then it's worth him talking about it. Still, given he's had a pretty decent career and just got signed by the defending NBA champions, so on the Roy Tarpley Scale of Cautionary Examples he probably rates about a two out of ten.

I've played bball drunk before. A small buzz can loosen you up and free yourself on the court, allowing you to explore potential areas of your game that you haven't before, hence helping you learn. Too drunk and your just sloppy. I think the reason is because you just start to react naturally, while a clear head is testing and weighing every decision and can lead to alot of hesitation and doubt, which can slows you down.