Maybe Ron Artest was just caught up in the moment after the Rockets closed out the Trail Blazers in Game 6 Thursday night, but it’s probably not the best idea to give Kobe Bryant any extra motivation heading into the Western Conference semifinals.

But Artest might’ve inadvertently slipped up in an interview with TNT on Wednesday night.

“Brandon Roy was the toughest guy that I ever guarded,” Artest said. “He’s the only guy to ever score 40 against me, that hasn’t happened in ten years, you have to respect that.”

Here’s some video of a follow up interview with Artest.

OK, so maybe Kobe Bryant didn’t get 40 points on Artest, but the 37 points he poured in the Lakers 102-96 victory on March 11 in Houston weren’t too shabby. Remember that game? When Kobe scored 18 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter with Artest yammering in his ear the whole time?

Thursday, Artest abruptly backpedalled on his statements.

“I don’t know; that was yesterday,” Artest was quoted as saying in the Houston Chronicle.“This is a new day .. He (Bryant) is a good player. He might be better. I don’t know. I don’t know how to judge who’s better.”