Artest to auction off title ring for charity

[Moranis]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-lakers-artest

SAN DIEGO (AP)—Ron Artest(notes) of the Los Angeles Lakers is motivated to win another NBA championship because he plans to auction his ring from last season’s title to raise money for mental health counseling in schools.

“I’m still searching for that first ring. I’m not going to have a ring, and I really do want a ring,” Artest said during a visit to San Diego to promote an exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21. “This one was on the house. The next one, I guess, you could say, is on me.”

During an interview after the Lakers clinched the title with a Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics in June, Artest thanked his psychiatrist for helping him relax during the playoffs. He said he received counseling for a few months when he was 13, but that funding for the program dried up.

“When I grew up, mental health was something that wasn’t talked about. People were scared to say they were seeing a psychologist and stuff like that. Even before the championship I was telling people I was seeing a psychiatrist. When we won the championship, it was on a much more larger scale—‘Wow, he really said that.’ “

Artest, who’s trying to put his bad-boy image behind him, said he could simply display his ring in his living room or he could wear it.

“But I think it’ll be more important to give back to something I believe in, which is providing kids with someone to talk to because it’s so expensive. I pay for parenting counseling, marriage counseling and anger management, and it’s very expensive. This will be for children of all demographics, rich or poor— preferably the rich can pay for their own psychologists—but it’ll be a great way to help kids who don’t know where they’re going in their life at this point.”

Artest said he’s still looking for a group to partner with.

He said some celebrities and investors have offered him between $50,000 and $100,000 for the ring. But he wants to have a raffle auction so fans everywhere will have a chance to end up with it, with tickets likely going for between $1 and $3.

“The fans are going to totally smash that number,” Artest said. “We’re going to help as much as that ring can do. I don’t know how long it will last, but I know it can help. You don’t really need the money. It starts in the household anyway. It starts with the dad and the mom and the family. Make sure the family is tight. As long as that’s good, I don’t think you’ll even need to see a psychologist, or you can keep it at a minimum. But nobody’s perfect. Every family’s not perfect. This is just a way I could help out, give back a little bit.”

Artest has even helped Rep. Grace Napolitano push for the passage of the Mental Health in Schools Act, which would provide funding for schools across the country to set up mental health programs for students.

As for the Lakers, Artest feels they’ll be better this coming season. Training camp starts Saturday.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to prove,” he said. “We really need to come out with a mindset. I’ve got a lot to play for again this year. I’m going after my first ring.

“We’re hungry. I know I am, as much as anybody else is. And you know Kobe is. Kobe’s after something, I don’t even know what it is. I think he’s after stardom on Pluto or something,” Artest said, taking off on one of his humorous tangents. “Pluto’s not even a planet no more, which I’m very disturbed about. I grew up when Pluto was a planet. Now, I’m 25, I turn around and Pluto’s no longer a planet. I’m going to elbow that guy in the nose. I love Pluto. Everybody loves Pluto. There’s a dog named Pluto in the cartoons. I don’t know how we got on that subject. We’ve got to see if we can get Pluto back.”

[Moranis]

Great positive story.  Props to Ron Ron for standing behind something he believes in and giving up his one and only title ring for charity.  And to do it in a raffle setting so anyone can win, is even better.

[nba is the worst]

I'm guessing LeBron will be the highest bidder...

[ACF]

Is there really anything bad to say about that? Way to go, Ron.

[Kwhit10]

I actually think this is a great thing to put money to.  Mental health gets shoved aside most of the time, especially since it's not typically covered very well by health insurance.

[fairweatherfan]

Good for Ron...as hard as I try, I just can't hate the guy.  He's obviously got some demons to fight but he's just too goofy for me to be angry at him.  And hey, it's one less ring in a Laker's hands, so there's that too.

[Witch-King]

The article quotes Ron Artest saying that he is 25 in the last paragraph where he is talking about Kobe and Pluto...must be a typo  Unless the quote was from something he said 5 years ago...

[Edgar]

Nice doing Ron.
Dont count you will get another tough...

p.s. I love what hes doing hes an example with this one.

[guava_wrench]

I'm gueesing LeBron will be the highest bidder...

TP.

Artest has always struck me as an earnest guy with serious issues.

[pearljammer10]

What a toolbag...



And this is Awesome BTW... Haha.

I'm gueesing LeBron will be the highest bidder...

[Finkelskyhook]

Kudos to Artest.....Nice gesture....But...

The last place I'd ever throw a bunch of money is in the grossly bloated public school system.  The very last place I'd throw money at within the bloated public school system is in "mental health".  With less exceptions than the rule, the public school system fails at teaching literacy and dicipline...The last thing I'd want is more funding for amateur psychologists (guidance councelors, administrators etc) to mess with their minds.  Or to expand special ed departments which cater to way too many students with contrived, mis, and overdiagnosed "disorders"...ADD ADHD BI-Polar, etc etc.

The guidance councelor is the most dangerous person in the public school system....Because they're not accountable to anybody.  I see the potential of Artest's generosity potentially hiring more manipulators than educators.

Artest clearly needs the latter concerning his bizarre recollection of the solar system...Among other things.

A nice, albiet misdirected gesture on Artest's part.



 

[Redz]

Kudos to Artest.....Nice gesture....But...

The last place I'd ever throw a bunch of money is in the grossly bloated public school system.  The very last place I'd throw money at within the bloated public school system is in "mental health".  With less exceptions than the rule, the public school system fails at teaching literacy and dicipline...The last thing I'd want is more funding for amateur psychologists (guidance councelors, administrators etc) to mess with their minds.  Or to expand special ed departments which cater to way too many students with contrived, mis, and overdiagnosed "disorders"...ADD ADHD BI-Polar, etc etc.

The guidance councelor is the most dangerous person in the public school system....Because they're not accountable to anybody.  I see the potential of Artest's generosity potentially hiring more manipulators than educators.

Artest clearly needs the latter concerning his bizarre recollection of the solar system...Among other things.

A nice, albiet misdirected gesture on Artest's part.



 

Being new to the field (Student teaching current to be a SpEd teacher) I can't speak with any real authority on the diagnosis issues of students in Sped programs, but I can say with a high degree confidence, that regardless of their diagnoses or disability label, pretty much every kid I've worked with does indeed need help keeping up with the general curriculum standards. 

[dpaps]

Kudos to Artest.....Nice gesture....But...

The last place I'd ever throw a bunch of money is in the grossly bloated public school system.  The very last place I'd throw money at within the bloated public school system is in "mental health".  With less exceptions than the rule, the public school system fails at teaching literacy and dicipline...The last thing I'd want is more funding for amateur psychologists (guidance councelors, administrators etc) to mess with their minds.  Or to expand special ed departments which cater to way too many students with contrived, mis, and overdiagnosed "disorders"...ADD ADHD BI-Polar, etc etc.

The guidance councelor is the most dangerous person in the public school system....Because they're not accountable to anybody.  I see the potential of Artest's generosity potentially hiring more manipulators than educators.

Artest clearly needs the latter concerning his bizarre recollection of the solar system...Among other things.

A nice, albiet misdirected gesture on Artest's part.



 

Couldn't really disagree any more. I think that public school systems are exactly where money ought to go. Especially the mental health areas. There are millions of children who suffer from bi-polar disorder (among many other diseases) that go undiagnosed. This money can only help.

[Finkelskyhook]

Couldn't really disagree any more. I think that public school systems are exactly where money ought to go. Especially the mental health areas. There are millions of children who suffer from bi-polar disorder (among many other diseases) that go undiagnosed. This money can only help.

Millions?  Are you kidding?  

How can yet more money help?  There is almost a universal linear negative correlation with the amount of money thrown at public schools and the results academically.

Artest is essentially throwing mud at a teflon wall and hoping it will stick.

[dpaps]

Couldn't really disagree any more. I think that public school systems are exactly where money ought to go. Especially the mental health areas. There are millions of children who suffer from bi-polar disorder (among many other diseases) that go undiagnosed. This money can only help.

Millions?  Are you kidding?  

How can yet more money help?  There is almost a universal linear negative correlation with the amount of money thrown at public schools and the results academically.

Artest is essentially throwing mud at a teflon wall and hoping it will stick.

How can more money help? You don't think that public schools need more funding?  Ridiculous