Ron Artest doesn't want to be a distraction. He tells the assembled reporters that there are more important things to talk about than his hairdo. He tries to deflect the attention away from his new look.

But his hair is bleached blond with purple characters in several different languages stenciled out across his head. No matter how hard he tries to stifle the story, it becomes the hot topic prior to the game. What do his teammates think? What do the characters mean?

This is typical Ron. While his antics may be unusual and draw criticism, his intentions are usually good.

The Los Angeles Lakers had just dropped two straight games and Artest had a message for the team. The characters spell out "DEFENSE" in Hebrew, Japanese, and Hindi. The team hadn't been playing up to their full potential on the defensive end and Ron wanted to change that. He was going to step his game up to lead by example and have some fun in the process.

As the Lakers' losing streak extended to three games on Sunday afternoon, Artest's contributions may be more important than ever. Los Angeles' defense and intensity need to improve and Ron seems to be the man for the job by setting the tone and playing the type of basketball he has been playing his entire life.

"Ron's been good at defense since we were like eleven or twelve," says Lamar Odom, who played on the same AAU team as Artest during their teenage years. "You see him practicing his defense, not too many guys practice their defense. He's watching tape and focusing on trying to shut guys down. He's been like that since we were young."

While most top defenders are limited offensively, Artest is a rare breed who can lock down his man and then light him up on the other end of the court.

"Ron is one of the best defensive players of all time, arguably, and he was a Defensive Player of the Year. Not only can he hold his man below his average, he's one of those guys that can score above his average on any given night. Not too many players can do that. Get seventeen to twenty points and hold some of the top scorers under their average," adds Odom.

From a young age, basketball has been Artest's calling.

As a preschooler in Queens, New York, Ron Artest Sr. first noticed his son's talents. "I didn't realize it until later but looking back, he would always be playing on the little basketball hoop at the preschool and he would do some impressive stuff."

At his elementary school graduation, several faculty members told the fifth grader that they would love to have him come back and visit when was in the NBA. Sitting with the other parents and recording the ceremony, Artest Sr. couldn't believe his ears. "I was one of the last people to realize it would happen. I knew how hard it was to make it to the league and I was being realistic. I mean, he was in elementary school! But on Draft night, it was a great feeling, hearing my name announced at the podium," he says with a laugh.

While Artest Sr. was one of the last people to see that his son would go pro, he was one of the first to help mold his game. The two would play for hours, playing one-on-one and improving aspects of Ron's game. If it snowed, they would shovel off the court and then get back to work. If you ever wondered where Artest's intensity comes from, you don't have to look much further.

More than a decade later, Ron has a terrific overall game and could be in position to win his first championship.

"I wouldn't trade my position for the world. Obviously it's a different situation now playing with a guy like Kobe, playing with a guy like Pau. I was always the second option, sometimes the first option, averaging twenty or eighteen [points] or whatever. But I'd rather just be scaling the perimeter, finding my way, and just being on the team than scoring twenty and losing. I'm still finding my way. It's just practice, this is a new style of play. I have to master it, master my role. That's all I'm focused on," says a determined Artest.

We often hear players say that improving their game is their main focus but with Artest, there's no doubting him. He has been known to put up shots after the team flight lands at three o'clock in the morning following back-to-backs. He has been eating healthier and cutting back on his midnight snacking. He put himself through a "second training camp" that helped him lose weight and get back to being the defensive stopper that he was a few years back.

"I've been enjoying playing defense lately," he says. "I just like to lock people off and over the last couple of years, I slacked off. But this season, so far, I've been back. Picking people up, taking the ball like I was used to doing when I was younger. I thought I could play at a heavy weight but I couldn't steal the ball or take the ball like I wanted to, like I was before. I lost five pounds and I'm trying to lose some more now. Now you've got something to think about when you're on that wing. These last couple of years, everyone was attacking me and clearing it out because I couldn't stop anybody, I was too heavy. But now, anybody who is trying to attack me is going to have major problems."

Shortly after acknowledging that this year's team is more of a defensive squad with a smashmouth attitude, Kobe Bryant agreed that the acquisition of Artest has been a big part of that.

"Well, [Ron] coming here has kind of changed the DNA of the team a little bit," says Bryant. "Trevor [Ariza] was more athletic, long, spot-up three point shooter and while Ron can do that too, he is more of a bruiser. I think having him in the lineup changes that a little bit. It might not look as appealing, in terms of throwing lobs and stuff like that, but at the end of the day if the result is winning a championship than that's what matters."

That has been the goal all along and Artest has his eyes on the prize. As the Lakers try to get out of this slump, it's no secret what the team needs to work on. "Defense, defense, defense," said Odom.

Or as Ron would say, "הֲגַנָתִי, 防御, रक्षा."