I remember where I was, who I was with, and even what I was wearing (seriously). Hell, I even remember the date. Basketball fanatics just simply do not forget moments in time like that. Six years ago today, the Detroit Pistons hosted the Indiana Pacers on a Friday night ESPN matchup of two Central division foes, in game one of their double-header that night. It was actually a pretty good game if I recall correctly, before the Pistons pulled away late and seemingly had this one secured. Then, the unthinkable occurred. Make that the unbelievable. Ron Artest fouls Ben Wallace. Ben takes exception. Ron lays on the scorers table. Ron gets hit with a cup. And in no time, you instantly have the darkest day in the otherwise proud 64-year history of the NBA.
I remember standing up while it was all unfolding with my hands on top of my head speechless with my mouth agape. It’s one of those things where if you weren’t watching the game live, the endless and excessive replays on SportsCenter (even the ones they found necessary to play a month later) didn’t do it justice. You had to actually see it happen. Instantly, my phone blew up with “are you watching this game?” inquiries. My body was too numb to field them. The NBA was already falling out of the good graces of mainstream media, faster than warm up pants after the starting lineups. It became a part of popular culture to boast about not being a fan of the NBA and this incident was single biggest driver of David Stern implementing a dress code the following off-season in an attempt to clean up the image of his league.
For the record, anyone who thinks Ron Artest was anywhere even remotely close to justified for going into the stands is a complete fool. Did he have the right to take offense after being hit with a cup filled with some idiotic fan’s beverage. Absolutely. It would’ve annoyed me too. But I’m sure even Ron’s therapist couldn’t have disagreed more with how he decided to react. That whole event 
never should’ve happened and, at the time, if it had been anyone else in the league (even Rasheed Wallace) laying on that scorers table that was hit with that same cup, thrown by that same idiotic fan, it never would have. Only Ron Artest.
Six years ago you expected that from Ron Artest. He was the most controversial, problematic and ignorant guy in the league. When you roll those adjectives up, it also meant that he was the most intimidating guy in the league as well. That intimidation worked in his favor on the court because he got in his opponent’s head to the point where I’m sure it impacted their play to a degree. You know the quality i’m talking about. You saw it in Dennis Rodman, you saw it in the Detroit Bad Boys back in the day. It provides an edge, especially defensively. Since that ill-fated autumn evening, however, Ron has dialed it down significantly to the point where November 19, 2004 is no longer the first thing that comes to mind when you think about him. That intimidation about him worked to his advantage, but is he still the most intimidating player in the league today? Here are my top 4 (sorry, I know we’re used to Top 5s) most intimidating players in the league today, in no particular order.
Chris Anderson – Denver Nuggets
All things considered, Chris comes across as somewhat unassuming and seems like he keeps to himself for the most part. But tell me with a straight face that you don’t find his body art, especially his latest neck tat, a little interesting. Interesting to the point where I’m not even sure what to make of the guy. Yes, tattoos are a form of expression, but damn. I’m sure his vibrant exterior intimidates some to a degree, where they’re probably wondering if this guy is crazy.
Kenyon Martin – Denver Nuggets
Ever since back when he was an amateur in college at Cincinnati, K-Mart established himself as fierce guy downlow. That followed him and his #1 overall draft pick status to the New Jersey Nets. When he found himself in Denver, he was still just as imposing, and I think this is where he really established himself as a physical player that gets into head of his opponents. If you’re looking for proof, look no further than Dirk Nowitzki. The next time Dallas and Denver face one another where Kenyon is healthy, watch how Dirk folds like a bad hand around him. It’s remarkable.
Ron Artest – Los Angeles Lakers
Even though Ron has toned it down in recent years, his physical play still gets to his opponents and he’s still probably just one incident away from going off again. But given his track record, him toning it down definitely isn’t a bad thing. Him being in a winning environment in L.A. doesn’t necessarily warrant him to act out, but he still has his way to intimidate the guy he’s checking.
Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
Is it just me, or has Kevin Garnett changed since leaving Minnesota for Massachusetts? From day one, KG was plenty passionate and was the Ray Lewis of the NBA. No one can deny that. He talked with the best of them to where it surely annoyed his opponent. But I don’t necessarily think that anyone was afraid of him. The year that he won the MVP, the T-Wolves were in a second round matchup with the Kings. In Game 6, KG and Anthony Peeler got in tussle, emotions flared, and Peeler rocked KG with a strong elbow to the face. Anthony Peeler of all people. And we’re talking about the league’s MVP here. It was an absolute display of disrespect and clear indication to me that he wasn’t feared. I even remember KG crying during an interview with John Thompson (but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to emotion).
Fast forward to today, he still talks just as much but something seems different about him. Perhaps being in a winning environment breeds confidence and rejuvenated swagger. KG still swears to himself and beats himself up (literally) but it’s different since coming to Boston. I can’t quite explain it but hopefully you’ve identified this too. On the heels of his “cancer patient” comments that he made towards Charlie Villanueva, some think that he may be ruining his legacy, and leaves me to question when he became a bully? I’m not sure what’s in the water in Boston, but whatever it is has KG as one of the most intimidating guys in the league, when he definitely wasn’t while in Minnesota.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
