The key difference is that you can't really be sure he's smoking pot. Is this enough to prompt a drug test? Probably. I can tell you one thing, though, he didn't really seem high. He acted and talked like Ron usually does. For all we know, Ron could've just been enjoying a Black & Mild or something.
My theory on that is in post #20. Regardless of what he was smoking, put yourself in any of the following shoes: The coaches The GM The owner The media David Stern (who reportedly cares about something called "image") It doesn't matter if he was smoking bubble gum candy, it's the image and the speculation alone that will cause unnecessary drama. I like Ron and I'm glad he's part of the team, but I can't see how that is anything other than poor judgment considering he's a professional NBA player.
I definitely understand what you're saying, but the worst that could come of this is that Ron has to take a drug test. And if tests positive for ganja, then at worst he gets a small suspension.
Let's see how this plays out. To be short, I don't want the drama but I think the media, and possibly the league, will see it differently. I have no problem with smoking. I smoke a pack of Newports a day and smoked plenty of other stuff years ago. I just don't see this as a non-issue based on the way the media jumped on Josh Howard for just mentioning smoking mar1juana. It's not a big deal to me but it is to the media and likely to the organization and the commissioner. By the way, what did you mean when you said "this can't end well"?
I don't even think that will happen. I'm more concerned with negative publicity. Some people, like poster above you, apparently think it's nothing. Maybe, I'm wrong. We'll see. I just don't see any reason to attract negative attention to a team with championship aspirations.
It's an unspoken fact that quite a few NBA players smoke weed. I mean, we already know Beasley, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers smoke weed. Also, are you going to tell me that Alston doesn't light a joint once in a while? As Artest put so eloquently in his recent video blog, being a world-wide warier is about being a cool dude, respecting people, and no fakeness. The man is no saint, but he's golden in my eyes.
lol Ron, pass it this way! No seriously, I don't see this as a big deal at all. It's not like hes Josh Howard talking about smoking weed on the radio. It's TWO SECONDS of him blowing smoke. There pictures of players in clubs parting and looking drunk all over the internet. Does that not send a bad image? I don't see Stern and GMs punishing those guys. Most people probably didn't even notice those two seconds unless they were potheads themselves or smoked before. I find it hilarious that somebody thinks this will reach Josh Howard level. Hey check out this RAP video. We all know rap music is the devil. Ron is shown lighting up a fat cigar and blowing a cloud of smoke. OH NOES! Call the NBA Police, Ron Artest must be stopped! He is single handily killing the NBA. My goodness, who is going to stop this mad man!!!!! Not only does he make rap videos, but he blows smoke on camera. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CGL3qigrgqk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CGL3qigrgqk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Yeah, Josh Howard here we come.
Dude sure swallows a lot. "I don't wanna wear tight pants, I can't do it. Let me in!" LOFL! Love me some Ron Ron!!!
Maybe ron didn't even know the video captured it, afterall it was literally the first 2 seconds. And only ron would say "well", only to correct himself by using "good".
He's not smoking anything in this video. These type of videos are well rehearsed before the camera actually goes on. He's just on the youtube wagon. If you ever seen popular rants on youtube, their all just like this. It will seem like it's random and the blogger is just making up stuff as he/she goes, but it's really not. There's a entire script and crew involved in the making of the video. Everything in this video was rehearsed from the sirens to him constantly looking away to the side.
"Since when was it not cool to be hood?!" -- The Great Ron Artest I'm definitely helping him get to 344 units. Let's do it guys!
The rowdies should really take a sign to a game saying something about not wearing tight pants. Heh, that will get ron artest FIRED up!
