In an an interview with The Sporting News’s Steve Greenberg, Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest dropped this little juicy nugget on readers:

“I used to drink Hennessy … at halftime. I (kept it) in my locker. I’d just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it.”

I wish I could say this news was surprising, but sadly it isn’t.

For a guy who shaved the logo of his record label into his hair, attacked an innocent bystander a dozen rows up from the court during a game, and has nearly perennially given Rasheed Wallace a run for his money in leading the NBA in technical fouls, this barely qualifies as news.

Honestly the guy could have said he did lines of cocaine off of Kobe Bryant’s posterior while Phil Jackson made a halftime weed run, and I wouldn’t have really blinked.

Artest is so far reserved from reality that nothing he does can really shock me anymore, but as long as the Lakers are winning no one will care. (Not that Kobe would ever let him drink in the locker room anyway.)

So this topic will probably die soon. But if the Lakers drop into a tailspin, don’t think that Artest’s passion for the game won’t be called into question by someone. I’m sure he didn’t think enough about the potential repercussions of what he said, but we will hear about this again if the Lakers stumble.

Maybe I’m missing something though. I’m pouring myself some cognac after my workout tonight. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

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