Radio gig helps fans see another side of Ron Artest

By SAM AMICK
THE SACRAMENTO BEE

last updated: June 12, 2008 10:17:45 AM

SACRAMENTO — He's wearing gold Kings shorts, a black warm-up and ... slippers.

On this Friday night inside the KHTK 1140 studios in North Sacramento, muscle-bound Ron Artest enters at nearly 10 p.m. with an outfit that's so odd it's fitting all at the same time.

After all, he's here to continue his recent radio foray with a co-host who isn't exactly in sync himself. Carmichael Dave, as he's known in his 9 p.m.-midnight slot, is a white, 6-foot-5-inch funny man with a cushy poker player's build. He's a Kings superfan who grew up in — hence the name — the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael, landing an internship after years as a call-in regular and eventually talking his way into his own show in February 2005.

As "gets" go — that being the radio slang for landing high-profile guests — Artest's repeated presence means Dave has gone from the D League to the big time. It began with a scheduled interview May 16 that wound up as three hours of hilarity and hijinks, followed by Artest deciding to try again a few days later and since making seven appearances. The ratings impact won't be known for some time, but it has lit up the phone lines like never before.

Artest's motivation, it seems, is as complex as his infamous persona. There's the simple fun factor, with Artest saying it's quite the antidote for restless nights when the kids in his Natomas house are all tucked in. Yet he also has aspirations to delve into the media world.

Those hopes were rebuffed when, according to Artest, TNT and ESPN turned down his offers to contribute to their coverage. He found his new start elsewhere, doing radio and TV work for Monarchs games. He even conducted a one-on-one interview with Kobe Bryant on "Fox's Best Damn Sports Show Period" recently.

This late-night gig, though, has turned into something different. KHTK program director Jeff McMurray compares it to Kevin Garnett dropping by the local Boston radio station after Celtics games, although Garnett would be hard-pressed to entertain like this.

There is no schedule, simply an open invitation to come on when he feels the itch and open the window to his world. For a 28-year-old who has often claimed to be misunderstood or misconstrued, it's a way of taking matters into his hands.

Or, rather, his microphone.

Odd couple

As the airwaves officially open, the show's new intro song captures the contrast of their pairing perfectly. It's a "Saturday Night Live" parody of "Ebony and Ivory," with Eddie Murphy playing the part of Stevie Wonder and Joe Piscopo as Paul McCartney — circa 1982.

But when the banter begins, it's Dave playing the role of Ed McMahon to Artest's Johnny Carson, laughing hysterically throughout because, well, Artest is funny and candid and even more unplugged than usual. And, as it turns out, he's quite sensitive.

Less than an hour before, the Boston Celtics downed Detroit in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals and have reached a place Artest still dreams of — the NBA Finals. The piano music doesn't complement Artest's mood.

"This music is not helping much, either, because I want to cry," Artest says while pretending to tear up. "But it's good to cry every now and then, you know?"

This isn't the first time Artest has shared his softer side or revealed a secret. Before this particular session, he told a few tales of less-than-manly behavior.

There was the time last summer when he and his wife, Kimsha, ignored the stipulations in his contract and rode a jet ski in the Bahamas. When they eventually fell off, the "Tru Warier" — as he calls himself — "screamed like a little girl." A good citizen motored by to help them back up.

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