“Metta World Peace”

I heard this earlier today and thought it was a joke, but it’s apparently true: Ron Artest of the Lakers wants to change his name, legally, to Metta World Peace. Read HERE.

Artest has always been a fascinating character, struggling with emotional complexities. On his draft night in 1999, he burst into tears after the Bulls took him, and it would be fair to say (I was watching it live) that there was something a bit unnatural about the magnitude and undertones of his tears. This was not your average person, quite clearly. Since then, we’ve seen Artest in the worst player-fan fight in NBA history (an incident that crushed the Indiana Pacers with suspensions), plus some other issues.

There have been other name changes in the NBA in the past. The prolific scorer Lloyd Free changed his name to World B. Free in the 1970’s.

Akeem Olajuwon also changed his first name to Hakeem. When that happened, they asked one of his fellow Houston Rockets (I don’t remember which one) about the change, and this player hilariously answered that fellow Rockets player Sleepy Floyd would also be changing his name to Sneezy.