From Pau Gasol to Joe Smith: Assigning Each Laker A Nickname

Ron Artest – The Humanitarian

Ron Artest developed this nickname over the past year as a result of his various donations to charities. Artest came to the Lakers with a dark past, and many people believed that his attitude would ruin the Lakers’ chemistry.

However, Artest did the exact opposite. He fit in with the Lakers’ system and he helped the Lakers’ win their second consecutive NBA championship. After Artest received his championship ring, he decided to raffle it to charity.

Artest generated a surplus of money for his championship ring, and the benefits were used to raise awareness for mental health.  Artest spoke about his mental struggles as a child at various schools, and he wanted to help children facing the same situation.

Before Artest was a Laker, he had the reputation of being a bad guy and someone who just could not behave professionally. However, during his stint with the Lakers, Artest has been a generous, caring individual.

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