Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle recently gave Ron Artest praise for his growth, while Artest has admitted that he was tough on his coach during their time together with the Pacers.

"When I was with him, I had a lot of problems," Artest said. "He really showed a lot of genuine care for me. ... He always came over and made sure I was OK, talked to me, made sure my family was OK. ... He knew I was an emotional kid. He always took time out to make sure I was all right. It was just unfortunate I wasn't really listening.

"He taught me a lot. He taught me how to play intelligent basketball, taught me a lot about defense."