Rookies Brand, Artest survive first long road trip with Bulls

The NBA education of Elton Brand and Ron Artest recently featuredan advanced course in life on the road, and both Bulls rookies areglad the lesson is over.

The first-round picks heard stories about the road hazards inthe NBA, but nothing can substitute for firsthand experience.

"It was the hardest basketball-related thing so far in my life,"Brand said.

The trip started Nov. 15, when the Bulls traveled to Oakland,Calif., for a game the following night against the Golden StateWarrriors. It concluded Sunday, when the team returned to Chicagofrom Dallas.

The trip consisted of seven games in 12 days, including a four-games-in-five-days western swing. There …