You've probably seen the Malice in the Palace brawl that got Ron Artest suspended for a year, ruined the Indiana Pacers, and altered at least one NBA title in the mid-aughts. But did you know that Artest (or "Metta World Peace", cough cough) was an all-around live wire?
Here are 5 of the oddest moments involving Ron Artest, NOT having anything to do with that fateful night in 2004.
5. The Indianapolis flophouse
Shortly before Artest left the Indiana Pacers, in the winter of 2006, a local writer came to visit him in his suburban Indianapolis home. The interior of the home was noxiously decayed and bordered on unlivable.
The community was gated, but Ron-Ron's house had an open door policy. At least ten of his friends had followed him from Queens, and they were sleeping on couches, on the floor, and even by the landing of the stairs.
Strewn about the floor were piles of dog shit and the entire place reeked. One of the occupants reassured the visiting reporter, "Don't worry about it. The carpet company comes in every month and lays new carpet."
4. The Circuit City job application
Before he was with the Pacers, Artest played two and a half seasons with the Chicago Bulls, from 1999-2002. At that time, Circuit City was a thriving big box electronics store, and Artest apparently shopped there on a regular basis.
He shopped there so much, in fact, that he applied for a part-time job. As he explained it, he noticed that employees received a discount on their purchases, and he wanted one as well.
In spite of the fact that Artest put Jerry Krause, President of the Chicago Bulls, as his reference, he was not hired.
3. The name change…
It's only after a year that one can begin to get used to seeing "WORLD PEACE" on the back of a jersey. Especially this jersey. But on September 16, 2011, Ron Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace.
"Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," World Peace said in a statement. "I'm glad that it is now official."
Of course, the fact that Artest has been one of the most violent players in recent NBA memory in no way negates the message he was trying to send.
2. Approaching Kobe Bryant in the shower
After the Lakers lost the 2008 NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant was alone in the locker room shower, fuming to himself. The door opened and Kobe heard someone walking around. Suddenly, Ron Artest appeared to console him.
There's just one catch. This entire incident happened well over a year before the two men were actually teammates.
"I want to come help you," Artest said. "If I can, I'm going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title."
It is unclear how Artest gained access to the shower, or exactly what was transpiring in his mind. Sure enough, however, the two men won the 2010 NBA finals as teammates for the Lakers.
1. The underwear incidents
Ron-Ron has done a number of public appearances wearing less than a full outfit. He notably appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show wearing nothing but boxer briefs, and remained at ease throughout.
It gets even better, though. Before a crucial Game 7 in 2009, between the Houston Rockets (his team at the time) and LA Lakers, Artest missed two different busses to the arena. The one he finally caught was the bus for front office personnel, private box holders, the owner of the Rockets, and his family.
Ron Artest boarded the bus in nothing but his underwear, in front of this crowd, smiled and waved at them, and barely made it to the game on time. The horrified owner made sure it would be his final game as a Houston Rocket.
About the author
Dan Bryan has received a B.A. in American History from the University of Chicago, and he has founded American History USA to empower people of all backgrounds to increase their historical literacy. Among other things, he was written about Jack Johnson and odd moments in American sports.
No comments:
Post a Comment