He Wanted Time Off

Ron Artest didn’t leap off a scorer’s table and into an unruly crowd to make headlines earlier this month.

He merely asked for time off.

The regular season was barely a week old when Artest was benched for two games because he asked Indiana Pacer Coach Rick Carlisle if he could skip a few practices, and perhaps a couple of games, so he could stay committed to a busy off-court schedule.

Included in that schedule was the promotion of his debut rap album, due to be released this week.

His request became instant news, another misdeed committed by a six-year veteran whose on-court ability has been superceded many times by his unpredictable behavior.

Artest, the NBA’s reigning defensive player of the year, was suspended by the league Saturday for an eighth time. The latest indiscretion -- Artest and two other teammates punched Detroit Piston fans in a stunning melee -- is easily the most serious in a career littered with indiscretion.

Artest, who turned 25 on Nov. 13, was suspended twice by the league last season. He elbowed Portland guard Derek Anderson during the regular season and left the bench during a playoff-game fight between the Pacers and Boston Celtics.

He was suspended five times by the NBA during the 2002-03 season, and once by the Pacers, for offenses that included flagrant fouls, taunting players on the Miami Heat bench, smashing a TV camera after a loss, and tackling guard Eric Snow, then with the Philadelphia 76ers. Artest sat out a total of 12 games.

That same season, he was pictured on the cover of a magazine, sporting a menacing mug and an accompanying headline that read, “The Scariest Man in the NBA.”

This season, he was criticized in almost every corner for asking to take time off, although he didn’t seem to understand the media backlash.

“I’m my own man,” Artest said at the time. “If I want to take some time off, that doesn’t make me crazy.”

Artest has been overtly publicizing the upcoming release of his CD, so much so that he referred to its release date as he concluded a halftime TV interview at Friday’s game.

His actions have often irritated teammates, including All-Star forward Jermaine O’Neal, one of two other Pacers suspended in the wake of Friday’s brawl. Earlier this month, when asked about Artest, O’Neal answered, “He’s my teammate.... That’s all I can say.”

And yet, Artest can be disarmingly charming and is considered a devoted family man; he is married and has four children. There are even those who say Artest is unfairly misrepresented by his outbursts.

Laker forward Lamar Odom has known Artest for almost 10 years. They played against each other in high school in New York, and played together on the same AAU team.

“It happens, like we all sometimes get misunderstood,” Odom said. “It happens to everybody. All it takes is the slightest thing. He’s a professional athlete, so he’s on a stage. If someone takes something the wrong way, it can be misunderstood.”

Houston Rocket Coach Jeff Van Gundy said the fans should receive their share of blame for Artest’s behavior.

“People are putting all the burden on Artest, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Van Gundy said. “He’s an easy target because of all the things he’s been through. But some fans have gotten to a point where they think they can do or say anything.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.