As I've expressed before, I like Ron Artest. I root for Ron Artest. I would love to see Ronnie move beyond all of his past issues, and just let his delightfully unorthodox game take the league by storm. I've followed the ups and downs of Ronnie's career over the past few years and have conditioned myself to keep an even keel about anything positive. That's because no matter how much good will Ronnie builds up, he has a tendency to lose it in the blink of an eye. The declarations of transformation are many. The hope that "this transformation will stick" have been crushed at the same rate.

It looks like Sactown is getting sucked into the the "Ronnie has changed" talk with his recent trip to do some incredible work in Africa. There is no doubt in my mind that his trip to Africa has made a profound impact on Ronnie and his comments about the life-changing experience are genuine. The only problem is, when Ronnie gets back to the States and begins another season, his mindset won't be the same as it was in Kenya. The guy has a good heart and loves doing good work. He knows how to express that to the media, as well. But don't expect what you hear from Ronnie on a Wednesday to sync with what he's thinking on a Saturday. He may express his deepest thoughts in July, but the same depth of thought in November may be completely different.

Regardless of how Ronnie may flake out on the Kings, his initiatives to help in Nairobi are impressive. I sincerely hope Ronnie follows through with his plans in Nairobi. He'd be leaving a legacy that dwarfs anything (good or bad) that he's done on the basketball court.