Artest: N.Y. media, fans scare off free agents
But Lakers' forward says LeBron could handle pressure if he were Knick
 | Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest talked about the prospect of LeBron James joining the Knicks next year. |
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Lakers small forward Ron Artest, not surprisingly, has an interesting take on the Knicks and the summer of 2010.
Artest says that if marquee free agents stay away from New York next year, it won't be because they're scared off by the prospects of having to work with a bad supporting cast. Rather, it'd be because they'd be afraid to deal with the New York media and fans.
"People always say, 'New York, they always booing us.' They're just scared," Artest, who's from Queens, told Newsday. "... They're scared because you know how crazy it is in New York in the media and when you have a bad game and once that pressure gets to you."
On the plus side for Knicks fans: When Artest was asked whether Cavs small forward LeBron James — the team's top free-agent dream for next season — could handle the pressure, his response was, "LeBron? I know he could."
And, Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant told The New York Times he thinks the Knicks will land a big name — just not him. "New York will definitely be one of the options (for the marquee free agents)," Bryant said. "Whether they go or not, I don't know."
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