Friday, August 26th, 2011 at 9:15 am  |  37 responses

Ron Artest Changing His Name and Jersey Number


Two months after filing the necessary paper work, Ron Artest is expected to officially become Metta World Peace today. He’s also going to change the number on his jersey again. Per Yahoo! Sports: “The Los Angeles Lakers forward – born Ronald William Artest Jr. on Nov. 13, 1979 – will officially have his name changed to Metta World Peace on Friday. Along with his name change, Artest also said he plans to switch his jersey number to 70 next season. ‘You can call me Ron today and then it’s over. It’s a wrap,’ Artest said. ‘It’s about love, world peace. Everybody can relate to that, whether it’s in the same community or the same state or the same country or whether it’s a country going to war. It’s about world peace. You know what I mean? The kids need to know that, and they know that now.’ Artest currently wears No. 15 for the Lakers, and this won’t be his first number change. During his time with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Lakers, he has also worn No. 23 to honor Michael Jordan, No. 91 to honor Dennis Rodman, Nos. 93 and 96 to honor his hometown of Queens, N.Y., and No. 37 to honor Michael Jackson. Artest’s goal is to wear 10 numbers before the end of his career. ‘I’m changing it to 70 because it’s like something to do with the universe,’ Artest said. ‘Everything kind of repeats itself. The universe is one. It’s the same thing. Healthy minds, just keeping the kids positive.’”

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  • Wayno Posted: Aug.26 at 9:51 am
    This dude’s brain is broken….

  • AMPduppp Posted: Aug.26 at 10:10 am
    Part of me wonders if he’d be doing this if there wasn’t a lockout… this is giving boredom a new name

  • LA Huey Posted: Aug.26 at 10:37 am
    Maybe I’m just dense. Can someone explain what the number 70 has to do with the universe according to Ron? I’m too lazy to Google.

  • EJ Posted: Aug.26 at 10:41 am
    I was expecting 69 before I read this.

  • Rubens Borges Posted: Aug.26 at 10:47 am
    LA, I don’t thing Ron knows…

  • AMPduppp Posted: Aug.26 at 11:05 am
    @LA Huey: Apparently it has biblical significance, like it represents “the totality of evolution” according to Saint Augustin…. http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu70.php if you wanna read it for yourself

  • dma Posted: Aug.26 at 11:16 am
    I thought he wore 93 last season, not 15? Regardless he cray cray

  • LA Huey Posted: Aug.26 at 11:25 am
    Thx, AMP. I’ll check it out when I get home. I’m weary of viewing a site called “riding the beast” whilst at work. =)

  • Tae Posted: Aug.26 at 11:42 am
    We need to trade this clown asap

  • angus Posted: Aug.26 at 11:47 am
    any guess’s as to what ron rons been smokin?

  • rsg Posted: Aug.26 at 12:23 pm
    no.37 to honor Michael Jackson?

  • Addam Posted: Aug.26 at 12:26 pm
    No wonder the nickname “The strait jacket” didn’t stick. It’s too relevant.
    It would be a very funny nickname if this person didn’t actually have a mental illness.

  • Addam Posted: Aug.26 at 12:36 pm
    BTW, if you google Ron Artest + Straitjacket you get over a million hits.

  • grgeblck Posted: Aug.26 at 12:46 pm
    he should retired and go do something stupid and no one will care.

  • Exist4eva Posted: Aug.26 at 12:54 pm
    What the Ef is Ron Ron smoking on. Hope he isn’t going the same path as Brian Williams aka Bison Dele

  • LakeShow Posted: Aug.26 at 1:02 pm
    Hold up Tae. Dude practically won us the chip two seasons ago. You stay loyal to people like that. Now get his salary hacked in half and have him play 25 mins a game of balls out defense and tell him not to shoot lol.

  • underdog Posted: Aug.26 at 1:36 pm
    This whole crap would be much more relevant if he’d be still a relevant all-star caliber player. This name change stuff is stupid, but I like what he become in the last several years.

  • Rainman Posted: Aug.26 at 1:45 pm
    @ Lakeshow: yeah he did, i, as a suns fan, am still bitter about the fluke lay up off an kobe air ball to win the game in game 5 at LA…

  • LA Huey Posted: Aug.26 at 1:55 pm
    Lakeshow’s right. Came up clutch against OKC and Game 7 of the Finals.

  • Roberto Posted: Aug.26 at 2:56 pm
    This is kind of old news. He was on Lopez Tonight’s final show (August 12th) and gave George Lopez his new jersey (name and number). http://basketball-n-ent.com/2011/08/14/video-derek-fisher-ron-artest-on-lopez-tonight/derrick-fisher-ron-artest-3/

  • Brown14 Posted: Aug.26 at 2:57 pm
    @rsg I think 37 was the number of weeks Thriller was number 1 or top ten, something like that

  • MookieBlaylock Posted: Aug.26 at 2:57 pm
    @ rsg, one of michael’s hits was number 1 on the billboards for 37 weeks, or something to that affect. Thriller? im not sure.

  • MookieBlaylock Posted: Aug.26 at 2:57 pm
    @ brown14, haha.

  • chingy Posted: Aug.26 at 3:16 pm
    Give Ron a break. He’s trying to get some good press (at least in his mind) after the Brawl. At least he’s doing it for the kids, right?

  • kenny Posted: Aug.26 at 6:08 pm
    why are people so angry? it’s personalities like this that makes basketball so much more interesting than other sports. I’m pretty stoked to buy a lakers jersey next season (whenever that occurs) with “World Peace” on the back.

  • toner Posted: Aug.26 at 6:10 pm
    Should have gone for 42, the meaning of life in “A hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy”

  • @Rainman Posted: Aug.26 at 6:17 pm
    You should Just Be Mad at suns and they underachieving asses

  • Tae Posted: Aug.26 at 9:43 pm
    @Lakeshow, yea ur right. Can i get my purple stripe back? Lol naw but really i cant take this dude serious anymore. He ball when he want to thou, i give em that

  • MarkyB Posted: Aug.26 at 11:06 pm
    Number 37 was the number of weeks that the Thriller album was at number one, not the single.

  • brandon Posted: Aug.27 at 12:00 am
    so what name is gonna be on his jersey wolrd peace, or peace

  • D12FSU Posted: Aug.27 at 1:28 am
    what does this man smoke and where can i buy it?

  • LilKDub503 Posted: Aug.27 at 2:44 am
    Wow, how original are you, World Peace. You’re just going to swagger jack Dennis Rodman and get a number in the seventies.

  • Darksaber Posted: Aug.27 at 9:10 am
    *slow clap* for some of the funniest comments in weeks on Slamonline.
    Kept reading and chortling as i moved on to the next one. Some funny people up in this one ,particularly liked ‘cray cray’ and LA’s (wise) wariness at clicking on the beastriding website :)

  • @Deknowz Posted: Aug.27 at 2:08 pm
    He’s gonna be the first player to play in sandals and a toga.

  • Dee30 Posted: Aug.27 at 9:59 pm
    Some1 give me a break here!!!! Artest whats up? Next year U gonna become a muslin or something???? Hopefully U wont play like an 70 year old either!!!! where were U when the lakers were spose to 3 peat????

  • agimat Posted: Aug.28 at 10:07 am
    so changing his name officially would mean his name at the back of his jersey would be WORLD PEACE?

  • Driver75 Posted: Dec.18 at 11:01 pm
    He’ll wear 70 this year than 89 next year since 7089 wad Martin Luther Kings inmate number when he was incarcerated

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