Artest agreeable so far

Whether Ron Artest liked it or not, he had no trouble finding the spotlight in garden-variety NBA markets such as Indianapolis and Sacramento.

Avoiding center stage in Los Angeles while suiting up for one of sports' most storied franchises will be near impossible. But maybe that's part of Artest's modus operandi.

"I think it's cool. I enjoy being in that type of environment," the incendiary 29-year-old forward said Thursday, prior to the Lakers' 98-92 preseason victory over the Sacramento Kings at the Thomas & Mack Center. "You've got to be blessed to be placed in that type of situation, so I take it as a blessing to be here."

Artest says living in Los Angeles fits him nicely, though he is putting his own unique spin on the city.

"I like to have fun, so I'm going to enjoy L.A.," he said. "I'm 'Hollyhood,' that's what I'm telling everybody."

Artest, who had seven points and seven rebounds against the Kings, said finding a comfort level with his new teammates didn't take long at all.

"I fit in right away. They're all easy to get along with," he said. "They all welcomed me with open arms."

Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who had 18 points, four rebounds and four assists, confirmed Artest's assessment.

"He's blending in extremely well," Bryant said. "It's pretty seamless actually."

Lamar Odom says Artest's blend of unique skills is reason enough to welcome him.

"He's one of the only players who can shut his man down and then get you 20 points," said Odom, who left the game early in the second half with a shin injury. "Ron Artest can impact the team without shooting. His passing is underrated. His ballhandling is underrated. Of course we know he's one of the best defensive players probably ever."

Bryant and Odom are part of a nucleus that returns nearly intact from the 15th championship team in Lakers history. As the only significant addition to a title winner, Artest said he is well aware he's under pressure to not rock the boat.

The logical assumption is his role will be similar to that played last season by Trevor Ariza, who bolted to the Houston Rockets as a free agent in the offseason. More than anything Artest will be called upon to defend and rebound, which he is capable of doing consistently.

Artest defines his role much more simply: "Whatever Phil (Jackson) says my role is, that's my role. He hasn't really addressed that yet."

The coach's early appraisal is that Artest needs to be more assertive, but he acknowledges that Artest is trying to fit in first.

"We're kind of getting Ron integrated in what we're trying to do," Jackson said. "He still looks like he's standing around watching guys play at times and he's not really as involved as much as I'd like."

Artest and his teammates were plenty active in the first half Thursday before a crowd of 14,741, racing to a 63-48 lead. But they had to hold on late after the Kings rallied to within three points.

Andrew Bynum had 24 points and eight rebounds to lead Los Angeles. Jason Thompson compiled 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Kings and Spencer Hawes scored 18.

Artest, who started and played 26 minutes, changed more than the team name on his jersey when he joined the Lakers. Having worn Nos. 15, 23, 91, 93 and 96 at his previous NBA stops, he has switched to No. 37 as a tribute to Michael Jackson. That's the number of weeks Jackson's "Thriller" album topped the charts.

"For me, I'm obsessed with Michael. I bought tickets to his first show in London and was going to see him and then he passed away," Artest said. "It was tough for everybody, not just me. It affected millions, maybe billions of people."