This is how much I like Ron Artest. For 3 or 4 years, Ben Wallace has been my favorite NBA player. Ron Artest plays for the Pacers, the Pistons’ biggest rival, and wants to attempt to bust up Ben Wallace in a boxing match on pay-per-view… and I still love Ron Artest.

Yes, he is certifiably insane. He is fucked three ways from the weekend. But woven into all the insanity somewhere is a passionate guy with a pretty big heart. Other than his proposed pay-per-view boxing extravaganza against Big Ben, he also talks to Penthouse about his family and his charity interests.

Henry Abbot at TrueHoop doesn’t think it’d be a good fight. He says NBA players tend to be spindly, wimpy, and playgroundy. And normally, I’d agree… your average NBA fight is pretty lame. But Ben Wallace and Ron Artest? Depending on the situation, those might be the two scariest dudes in the NBA.

There are other ways in which some guys are scarier… for instance, if it’s a “my little sister is in a hotel room alone with him” kind of situation, Kobe is scarier. Or if it’s a “I think this guy wants to rape me” situation, Shaq is scarier. In a “I have to look at his face for a prolonged period of time” situation, Sam Cassell is scarier.

But in terms of a straight-up street brawl… Wallace/Artest is probably better than you’d do with any two actual heavyweight boxers. My prediction for the fight would have to be Ben Wallace via decision, just because he’s probably got a little bit of a reach/height advantage, and I don’t know if it would be possible to knock Ron Artest out. He’s the kind of guy that could have an Buick dropped on his head and he might not realize it.

The Wallace-via-decision prediction assumes, of course, that Ron Artest doesn’t flat-out lose it in the 3rd round and start attempting to chew Big Ben’s face off.

From TrueHoop, via Deadspin.