REPORT: LAKERS ARTEST PLAYING WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS

Ron Artest is hurting from head to toe ... but still playing. A month after suffering a concussion that caused him to miss time, the Los Angeles Lakers forward said on his Twitter page on Saturday that he has plantar fasciitis in his left and right feet but will keep playing, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Artest
"I didn't know what was wrong with me," Artest said, according to the newspaper. "I've probably had it a lot of times in my career, but I never, ever sat out with it. I know guys who have actually sat out with sore feet, but there's no need for me to complain about it. I just don't like excuses. That's it. No excuses. I don't want nobody saying, 'Oh, Ron Artest has got plantar fasciitis, so that's why he didn't play a good game.' No, I didn't play good or I didn't do what I did because that's just what happened. No excuses."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson suggested that Artest's foot ailments stem from the sneakers he wears. Artest has an endorsement with Peak, a Chinese company that also outfits the feet of teammate Sasha Vujacic and the Mavericks' Jason Kidd. "I called his shoes concrete boots for about the last month," Jackson said to ESPNLosAngeles.com. "Those shoes look like they're made for the Hudson River." Jackson added that the shoes affect his play. "He stays with them and he gets his feet worked on but he does not move really quickly," he said to ESPNLosAngeles.com. "He looks like he's clogging around out there."

- Jason

ARTEST FALLS AT HOME, WILL MISS TONIGHT'S GAME

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest has injuries to his head and left elbow after falling at his home last night. Artest didn't travel with the Lakers for tonight's game at Sacramento after tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs. He was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow. He's expected to be examined by a neurologist later today, when the Lakers will be able to estimate when Artest can rejoin the team.

- Jason

ARTEST SAYS BLAME WILL BE ON HIM IF LAKERS DON'T REPEAT

Ron Artest in a recent interview has said if his Los Angeles Lakers don't repeat as NBA champions, fans can point their fingers at him. "They should. That's exactly what should happen if we don't repeat," the star forward said during a visit to promote the Lakers' exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets at the San Diego Sports Arena on Oct. 23.

Artest who has professed his newfound affection for Southern California, signed a five year deal worth $33 million as a free agent in July. "They won last year, and I'm the new addition. The fans expect to repeat. Everybody in L.A. expects a second ring. And if we don't then yeah, they should point it right at me, throwing tomatoes and everything."

- Jason

WTF! RON ARTEST RAP TRIBUTE TO MJ

This is hilarious! Ron Artest needs to stop trying to rap and stick to punking dudes in the court.. "Michael Michael You My N*#@a" hahahahaha!

BREAKING NEWS: ARTEST TO THE LAKERS

Free-agent forward Ron Artest says he's leaving the Houston Rockets to join the Los Angeles Lakers. In a text message to ESPN.com on Thursday night, Artest wrote: "I am happy to say I am goin' to L.A." ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that Artest and the Lakers have reached a verbal agreement on what is believed to be a three-year contract worth an estimated $18 million. Wednesday is the first day free agents are permitted to sign new deals. Artest's decision was first reported by CBSSports.com. The mercurial swingman was initially courted by the Cleveland Cavaliers.