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Headline The assist of a lifetime
Ron Artest says delivering food in = Africa has nourished his = perspective
Origin Ailene Voisin
Publication Date 7/18/2007
Page C1
Section SPORTS
Edition METRO FINAL
Dateline  
Corrections  
Memo  
Body Text The=20 court sentenced him to probation and community service for a = domestic dispute that occurred last March, and NBA = Commissioner=20 David Stern only last Saturday tacked on a seven-game = suspension,=20 beginning the 2007-08 season. But Ron Artest argues that while the = punishment=20 might or might not fit the crime -- and he tends to = vacillate -- it=20 undeniably fails to make amends. Personal amends.

He = can do=20 more, he says.

He can be a better person, he = says.

"My=20 whole summer has been dedicated to that," the Kings forward = said on=20 a cell phone from Nairobi, Kenya, where he and other NBA = players are=20 distributing rice and grain as part of the "Feed the = Children"=20 project, "and I've never given a whole summer to charity = work. But=20 coming over here makes me want to do something even more = special.=20 This is the worst place I've ever been, and it's been one of = the=20 best weeks of my life. Amazing."

The current = campaign, in=20 fact, is a complete Ron-Ron creation, though with more = thought and=20 planning than usual. Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie = recently hinted at the difference -- at what he cautiously=20 interprets is an indication of maturation -- when he = revealed that=20 Artest has been = volunteering to=20 represent the organization at community and charitable = functions and=20 making unsolicited visits to area animal shelters, and that = he=20 seemed genuinely excited about the trip to Africa.

Petrie has been = even more=20 encouraged by what he has seemingly witnessed: a Ron Artest as devoted to repairing = his=20 personal/professional life this summer as he was to = promoting his=20 rap music a year ago.

"I can't promise that I'll = never make=20 another mistake," Artest = admitted,=20 "but I really wanted to do some good. What's going through = our minds=20 ... is just unbelievable."

The goal of the joint = venture=20 between Larry and Frances Jones' foundation and the National = Basketball Players Association was to distribute enough rice = for an=20 estimated 44 million meals to residents of the worst slums = in and=20 around Nairobi. Artest,=20 accompanied by Theo Ratliff, Etan Thomas, Maurice Evans and = union=20 executive director Billy Hunter, was intrigued by the = opportunity to=20 "make an impact," as well as learn about his=20 ancestors.

Shaken and inspired by the weeklong = experience, he=20 said he intends to build a house in Nairobi and finance a = lab to=20 test for the AIDS virus. In a 45-minute conversation that = captured a=20 wide range of emotions -- sorrow, remorse, humility -- Artest said he caught it all = on tape.=20 The filth and feces. The sewage running in the streets. The = lack of=20 electricity. The stares of starving children that both haunt = and=20 motivate.

"Imagine a bunch of smelly kids running = around,=20 with no parks, no place to go," Artest related. "You don't = know who has=20 HIV. There is feces everywhere. People are laid out on the = street.=20 Is he dead or is he sleeping?

"Then imagine these = kids=20 smiling at you, just happy that someone touches them, smiles = at=20 them, cares about them. You don't want to cry, because it = just makes=20 them feel worse."

With a half-laugh, he mentions that = the=20 youngsters who craved hugs and clung to his arms had no clue = who he=20 was. They didn't inquire about the brawls and the = suspensions. They=20 didn't ask why his dogs were malnourished while he was on = that Kings=20 road trip or wonder aloud about his wife, Kimsha, who is = enrolled in=20 school and living with the couple's four children in = Indianapolis.=20 They didn't need to know his reputation; they simply = appreciated his=20 presence and intentions.

"I don't know if I would say = that=20 being here changed me," he said, "but it made me think about = things.=20 Just knowing the history of slavery, I was happy to see the = people=20 ... sort of like relatives.

"We went out to the = jungle and=20 stayed with real tribes for a few days, slept in tents and = were=20 protected only by the warriors. It's so amazing. They = actually drink=20 blood mixed with milk. They eat goat, drink blood, some = water. Wait=20 until you see it."

Artest,=20 who plans to give The Bee a copy of the video for the = newspaper's=20 Web site, saw his first giraffe when the plane landed on the = airstrip. He filmed a cheetah killing a zebra, captured a = monkey=20 lingering near his tent, filmed former Kings swingman Mo = Evans=20 dancing with the tribesmen. On another occasion, Artest peeked outside his tent = and found=20 a hippo lurking.

"Scariest moment of my life," he = said. "This=20 was the jungle! I zipped my tent up so fast ... = "

Eventually,=20 his mood again became serious, and he asked about the Kings. = He is=20 relieved Petrie appears intent on giving him a chance with = new coach=20 Reggie Theus, lavishly praised rookie Spencer Hawes and=20 enthusiastically endorsed the signing of free agent Mikki=20 Moore.

"I'll be back in Sac next week," said Artest, "but I'm coming back = here in=20 September. I've got a couple of spoiled kids. I have to = un-spoil=20 them. They need to see this. And I think I can make a = difference.=20 Yeah, I do."


Reach Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or=20 avoisin@sacbee.com. Back columns:www.sacbee.com/voisin.
Graphic Text National Basketball Players Association=20 photographs
The Kings' Ron=20 Artest says being an NBA = player=20 held no sway in Africa = -- but his=20 willingness to help did. "You don't want to cry, because it = just=20 makes them feel worse."

NBA players, from left, = Maurice=20 Evans, Etan Thomas, Ron = Artest and Theo Ratliff, = accompanied=20 Feed the Children founder Larry=20 Jones.
Keywords BIOGRAPHY

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