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Gale Contemporary Black Biography:

Ron Artest

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basketball player

Personal Information

Born on November 13, 1979 in Queens, NY; son of Ron Artest Sr. (a former boxer) and Sarah Artest (a bank teller); married Kimesha Hatfield: children: four
Education: Attended St. John's University, New York.

Career

Chicago Bulls, professional basketball player; 1999-2002; Indiana Pacers, professional basketball player, 2002-. TruWarier Records and clothing line, founder and CEO, 2003-.

Life's Work

One November night in 2004, forward Ron Artest of the National Basketball Association's Indiana Pacers went into the stands at the Palace of Auburn Hills outside Detroit. He started throwing punches after being hit in the chest by a drink cup a Detroit Pistons fan had thrown. The incident, replayed on television screens around the world, turned into a general melee and resulted in a season-long suspension for Artest. People called the fracas "one of the ugliest scenes in NBA history," and it surprised no one who had followed Artest's career closely; he seemed to be, in the words of Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard, "basketball's version of the Incredible Hulk, morphing into a destructive alter ego and then having no memory of the transformation afterward."

Yet many people knew a very different Ron Artest--one who went broke despite his multimillion-dollar salary because he was so insistent about supporting his family, friends, and community, one who donated his time to wheelchair basketball competitions, one who had developed into one of the top young defensive players in the NBA through a combination of enthusiasm and fierce competitiveness. Born on November 13, 1979, in New York City, Ron Artest grew up in the Queensbridge housing project, the largest public housing complex in the United States with its 96 buildings. And it was in that concrete environment that the contradictions in his character began to take shape.

Took Up Basketball at Counselor's Suggestion

Artest was one of nine children of Ron Artest Sr., a former boxer who worked at a variety of jobs, and Sarah Artest, a bank teller. Various other relatives lived in the family's five-bedroom apartment, which often served as a home for 15 or 16 people at a time. Artest, who grew to six-feet, seven-inches tall and 245 pounds, took to the project's basketball courts when he was eight, at the suggestion of a school counselor concerned about his angry behavior following his parents' separation. Soon he could be found on the court almost every day, summer or winter. Often he played against his father in tough, physical, all-out one-on-one contests. "We were so competitive," Artest recalled to Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights, Illinois, Daily Herald. "I wanted to beat my dad so badly. Once I was 15, he couldn't beat me again." Pickup basketball games in the neighborhood often escalated from hard fouls to fistfights.

At the LaSalle Academy in Manhattan, Artest became a top high school player in a city dense with basketball talent. But he never his competitive drive never blurred his commitment to his community. At one point he turned down a trip to Paris, France, in order to keep a prior commitment he had made to a wheelchair basketball benefit. Scouts from top basketball schools noticed Artest's intensity, and he enrolled at St. John's University in New York. His competitive drive was apparent to the St. John's coaching staff. "He has this fear of failure," head coach Fran Fraschilla told Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press. "I think it is born out of not wanting to have to go back to Queensbridge without having any status. It's a pride and competitive thing."

Artest played for one year at St. John's. After deciding to turn professional, he was picked by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 1999 draft. Even over the course of a single year, however, his teammates got a good taste of his mercurial personality. He could often be kind and generous, chatting with homeless people, giving encouraging talks to school groups, and impulsively making large donations of cash. His bad temper, on the other hand, was well known; he shouted at his teammates and got into fights on the court. Yet again, he showed a crazy streak, wearing a court jester hat during team road trips.

Applied for Appliance-Store Job

Things continued in the same vein over Artest's three seasons with the Bulls. By the end of the 2001-02 season, Artest was both an offensive and a defensive threat, averaging around 15 points per game and stealing the ball from opponents consistently. (He explained his stealing prowess to reporters by referring to his experience as a shoplifter back home in Queens.) Artest became a well-liked figure among basketball writers, who warmed to his unusual perspectives and activities; he recorded a country song with an elderly woman neighbor at one point, and during his rookie year he filled out a job application at a Circuit City store so that he could get an employee discount on the latest electronic gear.

Yet his intensity on the court spilled out beyond appropriate boundaries; playing against the legendary Bulls star Michael Jordan in a pickup game, he broke two of Jordan's ribs. And his inner anger continued to show itself as, in one of several notorious incidents, he picked up and threw a 150-pound stretching machine, leaving a gouge in the floor of the Bulls' practice court. After Artest's girlfriend Jennifer Palma and the mother of one of his children, filed assault charges against him in May of 2002, he was ordered to attend anger management classes. Artest later married Kimesha Hatfield, with whom he had three more children.

Late in the 2001-02 season, Bulls administrators worried about Artest's outbursts traded him to the Indiana Pacers. Honing his skills on the court and working on aggression issues under the care of a team psychologist, Artest seemed to hit his stride as a player, The duo of Artest and Jermaine O'Neal evolved into perhaps the NBA's most-feared pair of forwards, and at the end of the 2003-04 season Artest was named an NBA All-Star and won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award. He held the players against whom he was matched defensively to impressively low averages of 9.4 shots and 8.1 points a game, and he became an offensive threat with a points-per-game average of 8.3.

Smashed $100,000 Monitor

Artest's temper continued to show itself, however; in 2003, at New York's Madison Square Garden, he smashed a video monitor valued at $100,000. He drew six suspensions in the 2002-03 season and two in the 2003-04 campaign. Early in the 2004-05 season, basketball fans wondered whether Artest was beginning to show signs of stress once again. He changed his jersey number from 23 to 91--the number of longtime NBA problem child Dennis Rodman--and he requested time off in order to promote an album he planned to release on the new music label he had formed, TruWarier Records. No one, however, could have predicted what would happen as the Pacers took the court against the Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004.

The trouble started when Artest fouled Pistons player Ben Wallace in the final minute of the game. Wallace responded with a two-handed shove that sent Artest stumbling backward toward the scorer's table. That might have been the end of it; Artest leaned backward against the table and playfully donned a headset belonging to a radio broadcaster. But then a fan threw a full drink cup at Artest, hitting him near the neck. He instantly leapt several rows into the stands, trading punches with fans along the way, and he was joined by O'Neal and teammate Stephen Jackson. Pistons fans responded with a shower of debris that included a chair, and many present, including Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, feared for their physical safety. Police and guards finally restored order as Artest was dragged from the court.

The resulting suspension Artest drew from NBA commissioner David Stern sidelined him for the rest of the season and cost him $5 million in salary. Artest expressed regret over the incident although he told Jet that "I respect David Stern, but I don't think that he has been fair with me in this situation." Advertising appearances for "The Roc," a music and clothing line devised by entrepreneur and Artest friend Damon Dash, helped pay the bills in 2005. Artest's future remained a question mark despite his tremendous talent. "Deep down there's a heart and somebody who cares," sportswriter Jay Mariotti told People's Pam Lambert, "but he can't control himself on the court, and that's tragic. If he had his head together, he could be a Hall of Fame player." In the summer of 2005, Artest faced a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery, with a maximum penalty of three months in jail and a $500 fine, as a result of the Auburn Hills, Michigan, brawl.

Awards

National Basketball League, defensive player of the year, 2003-04, All-Star team, 2004.

Further Reading

Periodicals

  • Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), November 16, 1999, p. 1; December 20, 2002, p. 1.
  • Detroit Free Press, December 26, 2004.
  • Jet, May 10, 2004, p. 47; December 13, 2004, p. 50.
  • People, December 6, 2004, p. 103.
  • PR Newswire, February 4, 2005.
  • Sporting News, November 29, 2004, p. 10.
  • Sports Illustrated, February 11, 2002, p. 74; October 28, 2002, p. 98; February 9, 2004, p. 54; November 29, 2004, p. 50.

— James M. Manheim

AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Ron Artest

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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Pop Artists
  • Genres: Rap

Biography

Professional basketball player Ron Artest is widely acknowledged for two things: the instigator of the infamous Detroit Pistons-Indiana Pacers brawl in 2004 and one of the best defensive players to walk the court in the 2000s. Nevertheless, building off his controversial but successful NBA career, Artest also wanted to become known as a respectable rap artist and entrepreneur, and so he founded Tru Warier Records to pursue his musical passion. Born Ronald William Artest, Jr., in 1979, he was raised in the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, NY. Although he was determined to be a ball player ever since the age of 13, he always looked up to some of the hip-hop greats who were also born and bred in Queensbridge, like Nas and Mobb Deep. Joining the likes of would-be-MC NBA players Allen Iverson and Shaquille O'Neal, his Tru Warier company gave him the opportunity to be actively involved in the hip-hop community. As executive producer, he was responsible for placing R&B group Allure back into the recording process with their 2004 album Chapter III after label mergers left them without a contract and Linnie Belcher departed the quartet. As a solo artist, Artest has opened for major rap stars including Young Jeezy, Fat Joe, and Ludacris. While still recruiting and developing more talent for his label and, of course, playing professional ball, he still found the time to compose and release his own solo LP, My World, in October 2006. ~ Cyril Cordor, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Metta World Peace

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Metta World Peace

World Peace, then named Ron Artest, in 2011
No. 15 – Los Angeles Lakers
Small forward
Personal information
Born (1979-11-13) November 13, 1979 (age 32)
Queens, New York
Nationality American
High school La Salle Academy
Listed height 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
College St. John's
NBA Draft 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall
Selected by the Chicago Bulls
Pro career 1999–present
Career history
1999–2002 Chicago Bulls
2002–2006 Indiana Pacers
2006–2008 Sacramento Kings
2008–2009 Houston Rockets
2009–present Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com

Metta World Peace (born Ronald William Artest, Jr., November 13, 1979) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known as Ron Artest before legally changing his name in September 2011.

World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was a participant in several controversial on-court incidents, most notably the Pacers–Pistons brawl and is known for his sometimes eccentric and outspoken behavior.

Contents

Early life

Metta World Peace was born Ronald William Artest, Jr., and raised in the Queensbridge projects in Queens, New York. He has two younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel.[1] He played high school basketball at La Salle Academy and college basketball at St. John's University from 1997–1999.[2][3] In 1999, he helped the Red Storm to the Elite Eight, losing to Ohio State. He gained fame playing in some of New York City's high profile summer basketball tournaments at Nike Pro City, Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach, Bronx, New York and Dyckman Park at Washington Heights, earning himself nicknames such as Tru Warier[4] and The New World Order, a name he received from Randy Cruz (one of the co-founders of the Hoops In The Sun basketball league at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, New York).

As a teenager, he was teamed with future NBA players Elton Brand and Lamar Odom on the same Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team.[3]

Growing up in a rough neighborhood, he witnessed the death of a fellow player on a basketball court. "It was so competitive, they broke a leg from a table and they threw it, it went right through his heart and he died right on the court. So I'm accustomed to playing basketball really rough."[5] The player to whom Artest was referring was 19-year-old Lloyd Newton, who was stabbed in the back with a broken-off table leg during an altercation at a 1991 YMCA-sanctioned basketball tournament.[6]

Professional career

Chicago Bulls

Artest was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft.[7][8]

Artest played a total of 175 games for the Bulls over 2-1/2 years, the bulk as a starter, during which time he averaged about 12.5 points and just over 4 rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in the 1999–2000 season.

Midway through the 2001–02 season, Artest was traded by Chicago to the Indiana Pacers along with Ron Mercer, Brad Miller, and Kevin Ollie, in exchange for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a 2nd round draft pick.[9]

Indiana Pacers

During the 2003–04 season with the Pacers, he averaged 18.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Artest made the 2004 All-Star Game as a reserve and was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He wore three jersey numbers for the Pacers: 15, 23 and 91.

Pacers–Pistons brawl

Main article: Pacers–Pistons brawl

On November 19, 2004, Artest was at the center of an altercation among players and fans during a game in Auburn Hills, Michigan, between Artest's Pacers and the home team Detroit Pistons. The brawl involved Artest, Pistons center Ben Wallace, Artest's teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, several other players, and spectators including Pistons fan John Green[10] and Pistons fan A. J. Shackleford.[11]

The fight resulted in the game being stopped with less than a minute remaining. Jermaine O'Neal, Jackson and Wallace were suspended indefinitely the day after the game. A day later, the NBA suspended Artest for the rest of the regular season, plus any playoff games. Artest missed 86 games, the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history.

Aftermath and trade

Early in the 2005–06 season, Artest requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers and was put on the team's inactive roster. Artest's call for a trade created a rift between him and his teammates. "We felt betrayed, a little disrespected," teammate Jermaine O'Neal said. As for their basketball relationship, O'Neal said: "The business relationship is over. That's fact." Pacers president Larry Bird said he also felt "betrayed" and "disappointed."[12]

On January 24, 2006, reports from NBA sources confirmed that the Sacramento Kings had agreed to trade Peja Stojaković to the Pacers for Artest. However, before the trade could be completed, many press outlets reported that Artest had informed team management that he did not want to go to Sacramento. According to Artest's agent, his original trade request was only made because he was upset when he heard rumors that the Pacers were going to trade him to Sacramento for Stojaković early in the season. While not denying his agent's story, Artest did deny that he had rejected the trade to Sacramento, saying that he would play anywhere; hence, contradicting earlier press accounts stating Artest was holding up the trade. Given conflicting accounts, it is unclear why the trade was delayed, but it was nevertheless completed on January 25 and Artest was officially sent to the Kings for Stojaković.

Sacramento Kings

Artest during his tenure with the Sacramento Kings.

Though traded midseason to the Kings franchise, Artest quickly found his place on the team by providing some much needed defense.[13] Though many feared his abrasive personality would be a problem, he worked well with his teammates and then-coach Rick Adelman. Artest wore #93 for his jersey number with the Kings. After acquiring Artest in late January 2006, the team immediately went on a 14–5 run, the team's best run of the season. The Kings broke .500 and landed the eighth spot in the Western Conference. This prompted ESPN to declare that "Ron Artest has breathed new life in the Sacramento Kings and enhanced their chances of reaching the playoffs for the ninth straight year."[14] Fox Sports proclaimed, "Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt."[13]

He was suspended for Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs following a flagrant foul (elbow to the head) on Manu Ginóbili. The Kings eventually were eliminated from the playoffs in six games.

After the playoffs, Artest offered to donate his entire salary to keep teammate Bonzi Wells with the team, who became a free agent after the 2005–06 NBA season. He even jokingly threatened to kill Wells if he did not re-sign with the Kings.[15] Wells was later picked up by the Houston Rockets and then traded to the New Orleans Hornets for former Sacramento Kings player Bobby Jackson. Artest also offered to donate his salary to retain the services of head coach Rick Adelman, whose contract expired after the same season. Adelman and the Kings did not agree on a contract extension so the two parted ways.

Houston Rockets

Artest playing for the Houston Rockets in the 2008–09 NBA season.

On July 29, 2008, it was reported that Artest was to be traded to the Houston Rockets along with Patrick Ewing, Jr. and Sean Singletary for Bobby Jackson, recently drafted forward Donté Greene, a 2009 first-round draft pick, and cash considerations.[16] The deal was made official on August 14, due to Greene's rookie contract signing on July 14.[17] In response to the trade, Yao Ming was generally positive, but jokingly said that "hopefully he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands." In response, Artest said, "This is Tracy (McGrady) and Yao's team, you know. I'm not going to take it personal. I understand what Yao said, but I'm still ghetto. That's not going to change. I'm never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don't think he's ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture."[18]

Artest and Yao later exchanged extensive phone calls. Artest also said, "Whatever Adelman needs me to do, whether that's come off the bench, sixth, seventh man, start, I don't even care. Whatever he needs me to do, I'm 100 percent sure it's going to work out."[19]

On October 30, 2008, Artest received his first technical as a Houston Rocket, as he raced towards a group of Dallas Mavericks players and then quickly went to Yao Ming who bumped Josh Howard after play stopped. Artest was trying to pull Yao away from the play and to the foul line, but contact was made with Maverick players. The TNT broadcast crew felt this technical was not warranted, and was based upon Artest's prior reputation as a feisty player in the league. In the playoffs, Artest helped the Rockets advance past the first round for the first time in 12 seasons.[20] In Game 2 of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers, Artest, who was battling for rebounding position with Kobe Bryant, was elbowed in the neck by Bryant, which was later ruled to be a Type 1 flagrant foul. After being called for an offensive foul, Artest was indignant and proceeded to antagonize Bryant after the play, which eventually led to an ejection by Joe Crawford.[21] In Game 3, Artest was again ejected in the fourth quarter after a hard foul on Pau Gasol, who was attempting to dunk on a fast-break. It was determined the next day that the foul was not serious enough to warrant an ejection, and the flagrant foul was downgraded.[22]

Los Angeles Lakers

Artest shoots over defender Ryan Gomes.

In July 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Artest to a five-year deal worth about $33 million.[23][24][25] Artest chose the number 37 jersey, which he said was in honor of Michael Jackson. Jackson's Thriller album was at No. 1 on the charts for 37 straight weeks.[26]

In Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals, Artest hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer after grabbing a last second offensive rebound. He scored 25 points against the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 and went to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. In the finals, the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics, four games to three. Artest scored 20 points in the clincher and sank the team's last field goal – a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter – to virtually seal the victory.[27] Afterwards, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson called Artest the most valuable player of Game 7 against the Celtics.[28][29] He won his first championship ring with the Lakers.

For the 2010–2011 season, Artest switched back to number 15, his college number at St. John’s and the first number he wore in his NBA career.[30]

On April 26, 2011, Artest won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.[31]

Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace during the offseason. He came into training camp for the 2011–12 season out of shape. Consequently, new Lakers coach Mike Brown moved World Peace to a reserve role with reduced playing time.[32] World Peace lamented that Brown's coaching style placed too much emphasis on statistics.[33]

On April 22, 2012, in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, World Peace elbowed James Harden in the head as he was celebrating a dunk. He received a flagrant foul 2 and was immediately ejected. Harden stayed on the floor for several minutes and left the game for evaluation.[34] Harden was later found to have suffered a concussion.[35] After the game, World Peace apologized in front of reporters, claiming that the elbow was "unintentional."[36] On April 24, 2012, World Peace was suspended for seven games, meaning he would miss the Lakers' season finale game against the Sacramento Kings as well as the first few games of the playoffs.[37]

Career transactions

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1999–00 Chicago 72 63 31.1 .407 .314 .674 4.3 2.8 1.6 .5 12.0
2000–01 Chicago 76 74 31.1 .401 .291 .750 3.9 3.0 2.0 .6 11.9
2001–02 Chicago 27 26 30.5 .433 .396 .628 4.9 2.9 2.8 .9 15.6
2001–02 Indiana 28 24 29.3 .411 .215 .733 5.0 1.8 2.4 .6 10.9
2002–03 Indiana 69 67 33.6 .428 .336 .736 5.2 2.9 2.3 .7 15.5
2003–04 Indiana 73 71 37.2 .421 .310 .733 5.3 3.7 2.1 .7 18.3
2004–05 Indiana 7 7 41.6 .496 .412 .922 6.4 3.1 1.7 .9 24.6
2005–06 Indiana 16 16 37.7 .460 .333 .612 4.9 2.2 2.6 .7 19.4
2005–06 Sacramento 40 40 40.1 .383 .302 .717 5.2 4.2 2.0 .8 16.9
2006–07 Sacramento 70 65 37.7 .440 .358 .740 6.5 3.4 2.1 .6 18.8
2007–08 Sacramento 57 54 38.1 .453 .380 .719 5.8 3.5 2.3 .7 20.5
2008–09 Houston 69 55 35.5 .401 .399 .748 5.2 3.3 1.5 .3 17.1
2009–10 L.A. Lakers 77 77 33.8 .414 .355 .688 4.3 3.0 1.4 .3 11.0
2010–11 L.A. Lakers 82 82 29.4 .397 .356 .676 3.3 2.1 1.5 .4 8.5
2011–12 L.A. Lakers 64 45 26.9 .394 .296 .617 3.4 2.2 1.1 .4 7.7
Career 827 766 33.6 .418 .342 .715 4.7 3.0 1.9 .6 14.2
All-Star 1 0 17.0 .600 .000 .500 3.0 3.0 1.0 .0 7.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2002 Indiana 5 5 33.4 .407 .462 .692 6.0 3.2 2.6 .6 11.8
2003 Indiana 6 6 42.0 .389 .387 .800 5.8 2.2 2.5 1.0 19.0
2004 Indiana 15 15 38.9 .378 .288 .718 6.5 3.2 1.4 1.1 18.4
2006 Sacramento 5 5 39.6 .383 .333 .696 5.0 3.0 1.6 .8 17.4
2009 Houston 13 13 37.5 .394 .277 .714 4.3 4.2 1.1 .2 15.6
2010 L.A. Lakers 23 23 36.5 .398 .291 .579 4.0 2.1 1.5 .5 11.2
2011 L.A. Lakers 9 9 31.9 .443 .321 .762 4.6 2.2 1.1 .8 10.6
2012 L.A. Lakers 6 6 39.3 .367 .389 .750 3.5 2.3 2.2 .7 11.7
Career 82 82 37.2 .393 .314 .712 4.8 2.8 1.6 .7 14.2

Media presence

Artest celebrates at the 2010 Lakers Championship parade.

Television

In April 2010, it was announced that Artest would help develop and produce his own reality show, They Call Me Crazy, in conjunction with E1 Entertainment and Tijuana Entertainment.[41]

On December 18, 2010, an art show honoring Artest was held in Toronto, Canada. Entitled Lovable Badass,[42] the show featured work by 30 Canadian and American artists, illustrators, painters and sculptors inspired by the athlete. Artest made a surprise appearance at the exhibition's opening night, commenting that “(the show) was definitely special. It was unexpected. Overwhelming.”[43]

Artest was part of the line-up for the thirteenth season of the reality show Dancing with the Stars, though he finished in last place, being eliminated in the show's first week.[44]

Discography

On October 31, 2006, Artest released a rap album entitled My World. He published the album on the Lightyear Records label under his own imprint, Tru Warier Records. The album features guest artists P. Diddy, Juvenile, Mike Jones, Big Kap, Nature and Capone.

Advocacy

In 2008, Artest appeared in a video[45] promoting companion animal spaying and neutering for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals entitled "Have the balls to spay or neuter your dog."[46]

He has become involved in advocacy relating to mental health issues.[47] In December 2010, he announced that he would donate some or all of his salary for the 2011–12 NBA season toward mental health awareness charities. Artest also auctioned off his 2009–10 championship ring and donated the proceeds to various mental health charities nationwide.[48]

Disciplinary and legal issues

Early career incidents

In a December 2009 Sporting News interview, Artest admitted that he had led a "wild" lifestyle as a young player, and that he drank Hennessy cognac in the locker room at halftime when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls at the beginning of his NBA career.[49]

During his rookie season in Chicago, he was criticized for applying for a job at Circuit City in order to get an employee discount.[50][51]

He once attended a practice with the Indiana Pacers in a bath robe.[52]

Artest was suspended for three games in 2003 for destroying a TV camera at Madison Square Garden, and for four games the same year for a confrontation with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley.[51] He was also suspended for two games in the early 2004–05 season by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after he allegedly asked for a month off because he was tired from promoting an R&B album for the group Allure on his production label.[51]

Pacers–Pistons brawl

Main article: Pacers–Pistons brawl

On November 19, 2004, Artest was at the center of an altercation among players and fans during a game in Auburn Hills, Michigan between Artest's Pacers and the home team Detroit Pistons.

The brawl began when Artest fouled Pistons center Ben Wallace as Wallace was putting up a shot. Wallace, upset at being fouled hard when the game was effectively over (the Pacers led 97–82 with less than 50 seconds to go), responded by shoving Artest, leading to an altercation near the scorer's table. Artest walked to the sideline and lay down on the scorer's table. Reacting to Wallace throwing something at Artest, Pistons fan John Green threw a cup of Diet Coke[10] at Artest, hitting him. Artest jumped into the front-row seats and confronted a man he incorrectly believed to be responsible, which in turn erupted into a brawl between Pistons fans and several of the Pacers. Artest returned to the basketball court, and punched Pistons fan A.J. Shackleford, who was apparently taunting Artest verbally.[11] This fight resulted in the game being stopped with less than a minute remaining. Artest's teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson were suspended indefinitely the day after the game, along with Wallace.

On November 21, the NBA suspended Artest for the rest of the regular season, plus any playoff games. All told, Artest missed 86 games (73 regular season games plus 13 playoff games), the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history. Eight other players (four Pacers and four Pistons) received suspensions, without pay, which ranged from one to thirty games in length. Each of the players involved were levied fines and ordered to do community service. Several fans were also charged and were banned from attending Pistons games for life. Artest lost approximately $7 million in salary due to the suspension.

Legal issues

On March 5, 2007, Artest was arrested for domestic violence, and excused from the Sacramento Kings indefinitely by GM Geoff Petrie.[53] On March 10, Kings announced that Artest would return to the team, while his case was being reviewed by the Placer County District Attorney.[54] On May 3, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail and community service. Artest spent only 10 days in the jail, as the judge stayed 10 days of the sentence, and served the remainder in a work release program.[55] On July 14, 2007, the NBA suspended Artest for seven games at the beginning of the 2007–08 NBA season for his legal problems.[56]

Personal life

On September 16, 2011, Artest's name was officially changed to Metta World Peace.[57][58][59] The idea was inspired by Chad Ochocinco's name change.[44] "Metta" is his first name, and "World Peace" is his surname.[44] "Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," World Peace said in a statement released after the name change court hearing. His publicist, Courtney Barnes, said that World Peace chose Metta as his first name because it is a traditional Buddhist word that means loving kindness and friendliness towards all.[57]

World Peace and Kimsha Artest (née Hatfield) were married for 6 years. Kimsha is a cast member on VH1's reality TV show Basketball Wives: LA. The two have three children together: Sadie, Ron III, and Diamond.[60] Kimsha and World Peace, who was still called Ron Artest at the time, married in June 2003 and divorced in 2009.[61] World Peace has another son, Jeron, with his former high school girlfriend Jennifer Palma.[62][63] World Peace's daughter, Diamond, also plans to change her surname from Artest to World Peace now that her father's name change has become official.[64]

See also

References

  1. ^ Aasen, Adam (February 10, 2005). "The man behind the melee". Indiana Daily Student. http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=39502&search=ron%20artest&section=search. Retrieved 11 Apr 2010. 
  2. ^ Ron Artest Pro and College Stats. Databasebasketball.com (1979-11-13). Retrieved on 2012-04-27.
  3. ^ a b "Ron Artest Bio Page". NBA.com. 1979-11-13. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/ron_artest/bio.html. Retrieved 2010-12-29. 
  4. ^ "Ron Artest". TruWarier.com. http://www.truwarier.com. Retrieved 2010-12-29. 
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  21. ^ Sheridan, Chris. League also looking at Celtics-Magic, May 7, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
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  26. ^ "Aretest, Brown sign contracts". 2009-07-08. http://www.insidesocal.com/lakers/2009/07/artest-brown-sign-contracts.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
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  32. ^ McMenamin, Dave (January 26, 2012). "http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/26422/world-peace-declining-nah-just-bored". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. http://www.webcitation.org/65S9W6NZL. 
  33. ^ Berger, Ken (February 11, 2012). "Lakers, World Peace struggling to adjust to Brown and vice versa". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. http://www.webcitation.org/65SA8YpvM. 
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  35. ^ Mayberry, Darnell (April 22, 2012). "OKC Thunder: James Harden faces rigorous evaluation, uncertain return to court after concussion". NewsOK. http://newsok.com/okc-thunder-james-hardens-faces-rigorous-uncertain-return-to-court-after-concussion/article/3668875?custom_click=pod_headline_oklahoma-city-thunder. Retrieved April 22, 2012. 
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  38. ^ Bulls Acquire Rose, Best in Seven-Player Trade. Nba.com. Retrieved on 2012-04-27.
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0 Goudelock | 1 Morris | 3 Ebanks | 5 Blake | 6 McRoberts | 7 Sessions | 9 Barnes | 14 Murphy | 15 World Peace | 16 Gasol | 17 Bynum | 24 Bryant | 27 Hill | 88 Eyenga

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