Just when you thought Lakers forward Ron Artest had done it all, the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year appears in the news once again to prove us wrong. Better known for his colorful post-game interviews and questionable antics both on and off the court which include applying for a job at Circuit City for an employee discount, a near-naked appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel and his unnecessary admittance to drinking during the halftime of games early on in his career just to name a few, you've gotta think the 12 year veteran has done just about everything possible to raise a few eyebrows. However, that couldn't be any further from the truth as his most recent endeavor might also be his most controversial.
In November of 2004, Artest took part in arguably the most heinous brawl in the history of sports when he entered the stands, triggering a fight between both players and fans. The incident which later became famously known as 'The Malice at the Palace' resulted in 9 suspensions and fines, but none were greater than those issued to Artest who was suspended for the remainder of the season including playoff games which caused him to lose nearly $7 Million in salary. Since the altercation, Artest has done nothing but good (with the exception of his clothesline on Mavs point-guard J.J. Barea) and has been involved in numerous charities among other life changing programs to better both others and himself. While contributing to the studies of mental health is one thing, Artest went out of the box to do something only a brave few would do and that's auction off his Championship ring.
Though it took Artest over 12 years to finally capture the highly coveted piece of hardware that every player hopes to one day accomplish, it only took him a few days to figure out what he'd do with it. And while most people are calling him crazy for giving up his bling, others are calling him a hero as all the proceeds went to charities nationwide. His positive actions continued throughout the community which garnered the attention of the NBA who recently named Artest as the most recent recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, which is given to a player, coach or trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community. Artest has come a long way since his notorious antics and to prove just that, he's filed a petition through court to legally change his name to Metta World Peace.
The World Peace part is self explanatory and is guaranteed to sell a lot of jersey's assuming the Los Angeles County Superior Court approves of the name change, but Metta for those who didn't know (including myself), is defined as the Buddhist virtue of kindness. While appearing as a guest on PTI last week, Mr. Peace said he gained inspiration to change his name from Bengals wide-receiver Chad Ochocinco who went through the same legal process last year, changing his name from Chad Johnson. Though his stats indicate a rather poor year last season, averaging career-low numbers in almost every major offensive statistical category, Artest has easily become one of the most likable Lakers since his quirky post-game interview after Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals where he thanked his therapist. If a lockout threatens the NBA like one has threatened the NFL, there's no telling what tricks Artest will pull from his sleeve next.
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