He doesn't have a contract yet, but Ron Artest says he will play for the British Basketball League's Cheshire Jets during the NBA lockout.
"I'm definitely going to play for the Jets," the Los Angeles Lakers forward told the Los Angeles Times Thursday night. "I'm definitely going to play for the Jets."
The Jets have offered to help Artest promote his music and movie interests in the United Kingdom because they reportedly can pay him only $1,500 to $2,500 per month for playing basketball.
But Artest apparently wasn't looking for the biggest money.
"I thought, 'Where can I go to play ball and enjoy myself?' " he said, according to the Times.
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"If people want to play the best defensive player of the game, come to the U.K. I'm going to be right there," Artest said, according to the newspaper. "I'm not chasing anybody. If teams want to play one of the best defenders in the history of the NBA on the wing, come to the U.K. I'll be right there. I'm going to be right there. I'm not going to other countries. I'm from New York City. I play in L.A. U.K is a big country. I'm going to fit right in.
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http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/6856203/ron-artest-definitely-going-play-team-ukI love Artest. Hopefully he can stay under control in the UK.