Lakers’ Ron Artest to play with foot injuries

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The Lakers had just completed their shoot-around for tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre when Ron Artest sat down in a courtside seat and had both of his feet wrapped in ice.

Artest had announced on his Twitter page Saturday that he had plantar fasciiitis in his left and right foot, and now he was getting treatment so he could continue to play.

His history with the Lakers and other teams he has played on is not to complain about injuries and he was doing the same thing Sunday, even after tweeting about it the day before.

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me,” Artest said. “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.”

Artest said as the season progresses, as long as he is diligent in getting treatment on both feet, he expects to make improvements.

“It’s gotten a lot better,” Artest said. “So that’s a good thing. I know I haven’t been about to get the [defensive] stops I want to get this year, but I feel it getting better so it’ll come back around. You just got to take care of it. Ain’t no clock.”

-- Broderick Turner