Chris Anstey goes In The Paint to talk NBA Finals and his storied basketball career

LISTEN: DUAL-OLYMPIAN Chris Anstey has seen plenty throughout his basketball career, but nothing like a “fruit loop” NBA teammate’s first car. IN THE PAINT PODCAST

Michael Randall

2 min read

June 3, 2017 - 10:10AM

Chris Anstey is one of the best players ever to wear the green and gold of the Boomers. Picture: AFP

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WE’VE all had a dream first car, but for many NBA stars, that dream is easy to make reality.

But dual-Olympian and three-year NBA veteran Chris Anstey says one of his eccentric former teammates took it a step too far.

Anstey met Metta World Peace — the man formerly known as Ron Artest — during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls in 1999.

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“He was a fruit loop,” Anstey said on the In The Paint NBA Podcast.

“He was the most interesting, weird teammate I ever had.

“He got his drivers licence three or four months into the season and he kept telling people he had this really cool new car he was going to buy the day he got his licence.

“The day came about and he’d told everybody and we see Ron walking through the industrial estate that the training facility is in.”

Chris Anstey during his days as a Chicago Bull in 1999. Picture: NBA Photos

Anstey said the young buck who would go on to be an NBA champion and court infamy such as Malice in the Palace said the car wouldn’t fit through the boomgate.

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Artest was late for the game a couple of days later and incurred a big fine from the Bulls.

“He’s got in his monster truck at peak hour,” Anstey said.

“He needs two lanes to drive down (and you) can’t exactly go over the top of the cars in peak hour traffic.

After spending his rookie season with Chris Anstey in Chicago, Ron Artest became a controversial figure in the NBA.

“So it took him two and a half hours to get to the game when ordinarily it would have taken him 45 minutes.

“It was a genuine monster truck, 30 feet in the air.

“So that’s the kind of IQ we’re talking about with Ron Artest.”

Ron Artest on his way to the game.

Anstey talked Game 1 of the NBA Finals after the Golden State Warriors smashed the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-91 on the back of 38 points from Kevin Durant, and what the Cleveland Cavaliers need to do to stick with Golden State Warriors in Game 2.

He also looked back on his storied career, including his friendship with Essendon AFL legend star Dustin Fletcher and US tennis star Coco Vandeweghe, along with who he thinks is the greatest Aussie basketballer ever.