Brawl Will 'Spice Up' Movie About Artest

DENVER -- Five years after the "The Malice at the Palace,'' Ron Artest isn't showing remorse. In fact, one could say he is embracing his infamous place in history.

Artest, a Lakers forward, said in an interview Friday with FanHouse he's making a movie about his life. He said he made sure to touch upon the Nov. 19, 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in order to "kind of spice up the movie a little bit.''

In that basketbrawl, Artest, then with Indiana, charged into the stands in the final minute of a game at Detroit after a fight had broken out and a fan had thrown a cup of beer at Artest. The game was called, and there were nine players suspended for a total of 146 games. Artest got the worst penalty, being sat down for the final 73 games of the season.

Thursday marks the fifth-year anniversary, and Artest will play that night at home against Chicago. Artest, who celebrated his 30th birthday Friday, was asked if he's matured and is a different person since the brawl.

"Not really,'' he said before the Lakers were crushed by Denver 105-79 at the Pepsi Center. "I'm the same person.''

Artest then was asked if it was just a bad night for him.

"It wasn't a bad night for me,'' he said. "It was a bad night for everybody else.''

Artest doesn't shy away from that night. In fact, he made sure he included material on the brawl in a movie he told FanHouse he's making about his life called Therapy.

"I didn't even realize it was the fifth-year anniversary,'' Artest said. "I'm actually working on a movie about it. It's going to be pretty cool. It's like a docudrama. I'm playing me. (The brawl) is like a small part, but it's a part of it. It's to just kind of (to) spice up the movie a little bit, but (the movie) is deeper than that. It's all true.''

Artest said he has a production company in Los Angeles called Tru Warrior Enterprises, which comes from his nickname. He said he has a ''silent partner'' he wouldn't name, and the partner is putting up money for the film that will be available next summer on DVD.

"There are some reenacted situations that happened before (the brawl) and some reenacted situations that happened after,'' said Artest, who said no actual brawl footage will be used and that "all'' of the "various fights'' he has had during his career will be chronicled in the film. "People will be able to understand what happened (in the brawl). They'll be talking and acting, both (about the brawl in the movie).''

Asked about his abilities as an actor, Artest said, "Decent, but it's like me so I don't need really to act.''

Artest said the movie will chronicle his time at St. John's University until now, and touch upon odds he has overcome. Artest hopes there will a message in the film for "people that get in trouble (who are) high-risk kids (from) high-risk neighborhoods.''

"Just advice,'' Artest said of what the movie will offer. "My advice isn't always the best advice, but maybe it might work for somebody.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.