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Reporting from Houston -
Ron Artest is trying his best not to be, uh, Ron Artest.
He returned to face his former team amid boos, jeers and derisive chants from Houston Rockets fans. He managed to keep his cool despite his theory that his former teammates were trying to ignite his temper.
"I had to fall back a little because I saw they were trying to get me ejected," Artest said after the Lakers' 103-102 overtime victory Wednesday. "[Luis] Scola hits me hard. I'm like, 'I'm stronger than you.' [Trevor] Ariza hits me, I'm like, 'I'm definitely stronger than you.' "
Ariza and Artest were each called for a technical foul less than three minutes into the game because they were pushing each other near the top of the key while the ball was in play.
Artest later acknowledged the desire to wrap his hands around Ariza's throat during the game.
"It was a thought," he said. "Then I thought about [Commissioner] David Stern. I'm not fighting any more. You can elbow me, smack me, use me as a punching bag."
Artest's return to Houston wasn't exactly akin to Brett Favre's return to play in Green Bay, where he spent 16 seasons.
"There's nothing really to get too excited about," he said.
In fact, Artest estimated that he lost $20 million in potential salary because he came off the bench for part of last season, in a contract year, until Tracy McGrady's knee injury allowed him to move into the starting lineup.
Artest said he regretted playing in Houston for one season.
"Yeah, I do," he said. "I've been blessed to get paid to play basketball. One percent tells me I wish I could have been somewhere else. Things didn't go the way I wanted it to."
Then, after thinking about it for a split second, he hedged his words: "I was fine with that even though I was in my contract year."
Artest was acquired by the Rockets in a July 2008 trade with Sacramento.
He was booed just as loudly as other Lakers during pregame introductions Wednesday and was the target of some anti-Artest chants in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Rockets tried to fend off the Lakers. Some fans also held up "Ron Who?" signs.
Artest averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season for the Rockets before signing a five-year, $34-million contract with the Lakers.
He said he wasn't offended that the Rockets didn't pursue him when the free-agent period began last July.
"Once my agent told me they didn't want me, I said, 'OK, let's go to L.A.,' " Artest said.
He said he had no regrets now.
"I'm in L.A.," he said. "I got to go to Venice Beach, Muscle Beach and work out with the guys there. I got to go to Hollywood."
mike.bresnahan@latimes.com
twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan
He returned to face his former team amid boos, jeers and derisive chants from Houston Rockets fans. He managed to keep his cool despite his theory that his former teammates were trying to ignite his temper.
"I had to fall back a little because I saw they were trying to get me ejected," Artest said after the Lakers' 103-102 overtime victory Wednesday. "[Luis] Scola hits me hard. I'm like, 'I'm stronger than you.' [Trevor] Ariza hits me, I'm like, 'I'm definitely stronger than you.' "
Ariza and Artest were each called for a technical foul less than three minutes into the game because they were pushing each other near the top of the key while the ball was in play.
Artest later acknowledged the desire to wrap his hands around Ariza's throat during the game.
"It was a thought," he said. "Then I thought about [Commissioner] David Stern. I'm not fighting any more. You can elbow me, smack me, use me as a punching bag."
Artest's return to Houston wasn't exactly akin to Brett Favre's return to play in Green Bay, where he spent 16 seasons.
"There's nothing really to get too excited about," he said.
In fact, Artest estimated that he lost $20 million in potential salary because he came off the bench for part of last season, in a contract year, until Tracy McGrady's knee injury allowed him to move into the starting lineup.
Artest said he regretted playing in Houston for one season.
"Yeah, I do," he said. "I've been blessed to get paid to play basketball. One percent tells me I wish I could have been somewhere else. Things didn't go the way I wanted it to."
Then, after thinking about it for a split second, he hedged his words: "I was fine with that even though I was in my contract year."
Artest was acquired by the Rockets in a July 2008 trade with Sacramento.
He was booed just as loudly as other Lakers during pregame introductions Wednesday and was the target of some anti-Artest chants in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Rockets tried to fend off the Lakers. Some fans also held up "Ron Who?" signs.
Artest averaged 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season for the Rockets before signing a five-year, $34-million contract with the Lakers.
He said he wasn't offended that the Rockets didn't pursue him when the free-agent period began last July.
"Once my agent told me they didn't want me, I said, 'OK, let's go to L.A.,' " Artest said.
He said he had no regrets now.
"I'm in L.A.," he said. "I got to go to Venice Beach, Muscle Beach and work out with the guys there. I got to go to Hollywood."
mike.bresnahan@latimes.com
twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan
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