Ron Artest is Offically a Laker

By Yosef Solomon on July 8th, 2009

“It was kind of a no-brainer for me,” said the former Houston Rocket Ron Artest of his decision on becoming a Los Angeles Laker. The rapper/basketball player signed a five-year contract for $33.95 million earlier today and was pretty excited about his future in LA. “Where is TMZ?…They’re not here. That’s good news,” the NBA All-Star quipped.

Artest, who played a huge role in the seven-game series the Lakers almost lost last year, will be a great addition to the world champs. He’s a scrappy defender that not only hustles, but scores when you need him to. Granted the Lakers might get a few more distractions with number 37 on the team, but that’s no change of pace, he’ll be a perfect fit for the LA team.

I liken Artest to a new-school Dennis Rodman. The fact that Kobe is the captain of the team also helps, as Artest respects him and will do his best to bring another championship win to LA. I may be jumping the gun, but the Lakers are slowly looking like the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 90s. We’ll just have to see if Kobe can capture number five and then six. With Artest on board, that challenge may have just become a little easier.