Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, has always been the type who marches to the beat of his own drum.
When others focused on scoring the basketball and the attention it brings, he dedicated himself to defense. When plays would break down, there he would be, ready to pounce on broken plays. And of course, changing his name in the middle of his career was also part of the experience.
It took some time for all involved to adjust to calling him World Peace, and on Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green’s podcast, “Inside The Green Room,” the now-former World Peace admitted that he felt like he made a mistake the first time he heard his name announced at the Staples Center.
However, eventually, the name stuck, and Artest gradually faded away while MWP became the common vernacular in NBA circles. Unfortunately, that name is now gone as well. World Peace is no more.
Instead, he has opted to make a change to Metta Ford-Artest, combining his original last name with that of his wife while keeping the “Metta” part of his original name change.
Will the new name stick? Or will most continue to call him MWP? Plus, he also weighs in on the major awards of the NBA season, including who he believes should take home the MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year, and which team he believes will win the NBA Championship.
With his experience, Ford-Artest is able to come up with some interesting rationalizations for his picks, though Lakers fans may raise their eyebrows at his DPOY pick!