Shortly after that infamous “Malice in the Palace” incident in 2004, Metta World Peace (who started his NBA career as Ron Artest) tried to turn a new leaf and tone down his old ways.
Even before his involvement in the most shocking brawl in NBA history, MWP already had a menacing reputation that followed him around everywhere he went.
To be fair, the pre-Malice in the Palace Ron was pretty hardcore.
He once broke Michael Jordan’s ribs in a pick-up game, regularly drank Hennesy at half-time, and even appeared in the cover of a soft-porn magazine, among many other bizarre things.
He clearly matured following that record-breaking suspension in ’04, but he still had some slip-ups along the way.
Here are Metta World Peace’s craziest moments post-Malice at the Palace.
Domestic violence charge
Artest stuck around with the Pacers following his lengthy suspension, but it was clear that the relationship between both sides has been permanently fractured. Indiana eventually traded him to the Sacramento Kings in 2006.
On the court, the one-time DPOY winner gave the Kings a huge boost with his defensive savagery. But off of it, Artest’s legal troubles gave the Sacramento brass major headaches.
He was arrested and jailed in March 2007 following a misdemeanor domestic violence charge filed by his wife.
Artest was given a 20-day sentence but just served 10 days behind bars after fulfilling the rest via a work-release program. The NBA rightfully gave him a 7-game ban at the start of the 2007-08 season due to the incident.
Playing Monopoly with Lakers fans at the beach
Artest had another short-stop with the Houston Rockets before really turning things around once he joined the Lakers in 2009. Ron was extremely thrilled to play in Hollywood that he promised to hang out with fans in random places.
He lived up to that vow numerous times and was even filmed enjoying a good old game of monopoly at the beach with some Lakers supporters.
Artest was even eating the famed Filipino dessert halo-halo at the time, earning him plus points to basketball-crazed fans in the Philippines.
Thanking his psychiatrist after winning NBA title
Most players give credit to their families, loved ones, teammates, and coaches upon winning that Larry O’Brien trophy.
But in true-Artest fashion, Metta World Peace simply gave a shout out to his psychiatrist in the post-game interview of the 2010 Finals against the Boston Celtics. The 6-foot-7 forward credited his shrink for supposedly helping him overcome his fear of late-game situations.
Artest, of course, cashed in a crucial 3-pointer in the dying minutes of Game 7 against to seal the victory and the title.
“I got Wheaties”
The party continued outside the playing court after Artest won his first and only chip in 2010. An extremely jubilant Artest entered the media room in full euphoria as he addressed the crowd of reporters.
He first laid eyes on the Wheaties box, and the rest was history.
“I got Wheaties! I got Wheaties box! Where's my Wheaties box? I got Wheaties!” he proudly said.
Showing up shirtless on Jimmy Kimmel Live
It’s no secret that Artest had the time of his life following that championship win and continued to keep that party going even on live TV. While most stars dress to the nines during a TV guesting, Ron decided to come to his wearing nothing but boxer shorts.
Much to Kimmel’s surprise, Artest even had the late show host’s name shaved on his head. The pair engaged in an interesting conversation, ranging from how Artest introduced Khloe Kardashian to Lamar Odom, his encounter with Kobe in the shower in Boston, and his numerous modeling photos.
Going WWE on Barea
Artest cleaned up his ways since joining the Lakers but once again let out his inner beast in Game 2 of the 2011 Western Conference semis against the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers were on their way to their second consecutive defeat when Artest clotheslined Mavs guard JJ Barea with under 30 ticks remaining in regulation.
Artest received a one-game ban after the incident.
Appearing on Dancing with the Stars
Who knew Ron could dance?
Artest was such a talented defender because of his nimble feet, and he used that to his advantage when he joined the popular celebrity dance show.
The former Lakers forward partnered with pro dancer Peta Murgatroyd and proudly strut his stuff for millions of viewers around the world. Artest, however, finished in last place.
“I was just expecting the judges to see the effort and the entertainment,” he said afterward.
Changing his legal name to “Metta World Peace”
Artest fully embraced his transformation once his request to change his name got approved on September 16, 2011.
“Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world,” he described his decision at the time.
MWP meant to do it a month earlier, but his initial request got denied after the court discovered that he had unpaid parking tickets to his old name.
World Peace once again had a change of heart last May, as he now goes by Metta Sandiford-Artest.
The infamous elbow to Harden’s head
MWP had a new name in 2012 but he just couldn’t shake off his bad-boy reputation completely. Following a breakaway dunk in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 22, 2012, a hyped-up World Peace pumped up his chest in celebration.
Then-OKC guard James Harden just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that night, as he was sent crashing to the floor after receiving a vicious elbow to the temple from MWP. Tests showed that Harden received a concussion after that incident.
World Peace was assessed with a flagrant foul 2 and was ejected from the game right away. The NBA also once again slapped him a 7-game suspension. World Peace did apologize to Harden after the game and said it was unintentional.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scqitXx-bkE
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