Kings Remove Ron Artest Indefinitely After Monday Arrest

Kings Indefinitely Remove Artest From Team Following Arrest

NBA Kings F Ron Artest has been “removed indefinitely” from the team but will continue to be paid after he was arrested yesterday morning on a domestic violence charge, according to Korber & Minugh of the SACRAMENTO BEE. Artest allegedly “shoved a woman repeatedly to the floor and then used force to stop her from reporting the crime.” A neighbor who witnessed part of the altercation indicated that the incident “involved Artest and his wife, Kimsha” (SACRAMENTO BEE, 3/6). Kings President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie said of the team’s action, “We are concerned about Ron, but we’re also concerned about the image of the team and the reputation of the people involved.” In Sacramento, Ailene Voisin writes Kings officials “have been uneasy since January, when one of Artest’s dogs was rescued” by local officials for being undernourished. By “‘excusing’ Artest indefinitely — a course of action that, in contrast to a suspension, probably precludes an immediate appeal by the [NBPA] — Petrie and the Maloofs responded to the severity of the matter and the sensitivity of the issue.” Petrie’s wife, Anne-Marie is a BOD member of WEAVE, a provider of domestic violence and sexual assault services (SACRAMENTO BEE, 3/6).