Five years ago tonight, Ron Artest  went Ron-Ron and was involved in the “Malice at the Palace.”

Looking back at the incident, which resulted in a 73-game suspension for the Pacers forward, little has changed with the NBA since then.

The key players involved in the incident – - Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal all were able to recover from the fight that night and have gone on to new teams.

And John Green, the fan who sparked the incident, is now on speaking terms with Artest.

He was on ESPN’s 1st and 10 this morning discussing the phone call he got during the summer at his home from Artest.

Time heals most things in life and I respect Artest even more for looking up this guy and calling him up to squash whatever hard feelings both sides might have.

But that doesn’t mean I still don’t think Artest is two secs away from going Ron-Ron at any given moment.

Handle with care, Lakers.

He’s a delicate flower.

Are we looking at the last of Allen Iverson in the NBA?

The veteran point guard is not happy with his role off the Detroit Pistons bench and has said that he would rather retire than be a full-time reserve.

“I’d rather retire before I do this again,” Iverson said. “I can’t be effective playing this way. I’m not used to it. It’s tough for me both mentally and physically. If I’m able to go out there, I should be able to get it done and I can’t right now. It’s my fault. I have to be able to overcome the adversity and do what I have to do. I just have to find a way to get it done. Not being 100 percent makes it harder and you can see that I’m not 100 percent.”

Way to be a team player, A.I.

Of course this is all talk because Iverson will be a free agent at the end of the season, so he knows his days as the 6th man off the Pistons bench are almost over.

Iverson will never win a championship in the NBA because even at the age of 33, he’s not willing to make the sacrifices it takes to win as a team.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out of the D.

Good news out of Detroit.

Allen Iverson is out at least two weeks with a sore back.

Why is it good news for the Pistons?

Considering the way Detroit has struggled since Iverson has arrived to Auburn Hills, this might be a blessing in disguise.

With Richard Hamilton back in the starting lineup, Detroit managed to stop their eight-game losing skid and knock off Orlando and Boston on the road last weekend.

Coincidence?

I think not.

Take your time getting back on the court, A.I.

Kwame Brown is proving that it really does indeed pay to be a big man in the NBA.

The former No. 1 pick in the 2001 NBA Draft has agreed to a 2-year, $8 million contract with the Detroit Pistons. Read the rest of this entry »