Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest compared himself wanting a trade to Magic Johnson allegedly cheating on his wife, WRTV in Indianapolis reported.

Artest made the comparison after he found out that Johnson said he didn't deserve a second chance to play in the NBA.

"It's like saying, 'Magic, should your wife give you another chance?'" Artest told WIBC radio on Friday. "He's saying Ron Artest should have no more second chances. What's worse — me saying I want to be traded or you cheating on your wife?"

Recently, Artest has backtracked on his stance of wanting to be traded, saying that he now wants to stay with the Pacers.

“At this moment, we’re not going to put the buggy before the horse,” Artest's agent Mark Stevens said. “We’re waiting to hear from (Pacers president) Donnie Walsh, the gentleman and scholar that he is, and hope this can be resolved to where there won’t have to be a trade.”

The NBA fined Artest $10,000 Thursday for making public statements detrimental to the NBA.

Artest was a key component on a team expected to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. He leads the league in steals and is the Pacers’ second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game.

He said he was unhappy playing in Carlisle’s system. Carlisle said any decision regarding Artest’s return would be left up to Walsh and Larry Bird.

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