A whole gaggle of fans, whether they were haters or members of Laker Nation, questioned the move. They feared that Ron Artest would destroy the chemistry of a team that had just won a championship with his volatile personality. They feared that Artest would clash with Kobe Bryant, just as they did during the 2009 Western Conference Semi-Finals. People were bracing themselves for the worst.
If the "worst" was winning championship number 16, then you really couldn't have had a better season.
Ron Artest used to hate Kobe's guts on the court. He would always take subtle jabs that referees always gave Kobe favorable calls, that Kobe would always elbow him. During games, he and Kobe would go at it, eventually leading to both players jawing and glaring at each other. During those days, no love was lost between the two...
From the 2009 Playoffs, fast-forward by one year, just one year.
In the Western Conference Finals against Phoenix, after Ron Artest had just hit the game-winning shot off of a missed jumper by Kobe, who was the first person he wound up hugging? Kobe Bryant.
Game 7 against the Celtics. After the final buzzer rang and the Lakers had finally won the title for their repeat, who was the first person Kobe ended up hugging? Ron Artest.
If you only started following the NBA, you'd think Kobe and Ron-Ron were the best of friends and have been teammates for five or more years. No love lost, but there was certainly love gained...
Now, the Lakers have added another antagonist to their superstar to the team's roster. Reportedly, the Lakers have finally signed Matt Barnes to a two-year, 1.77M deal.
The signing of Matt Barnes further upgrades an already beefed-up bench. Matt Barnes was signed for his defensive capabilities, brought i...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
