Metta World Peace AKA Ron Artest vs. Rampage Jackson: Potential Charity Fight in the Works
Ron Artest AKA Metta World Peace is using the NBA lockout to spend some time in the boxing ring.
However, his next opponent may pose a greater challenge than what he’s been subjected to in previous sparring sessions.
According to Mr. World Peace’s official Twitter page, the Lakers’ forward and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson have agreed to go a few rounds in the boxing ring.
Rampage gonna test my chin for charity!! This will be the biggest heavyweight fight outside klits and haye!!
Obviously, there’s a bit of exaggeration done by Artest to make his point, but it’s clear that he’s taking an unorthodox approach to his extended time off.
It’s great that he’s going to raise money for charity with the effort, but what if he gets hurt?
Seriously.
The Lakers have a sizable chunk of change invested in the defender, and instead of playing in a charity basketball game or attending important labor negotiations, World Peace is making plans to have a professional fighter do work on his chin.
Awesome.
World Peace posted some of the worst numbers of his career despite playing all 82 games for the Lakers last season.
Averaging just 29 minutes per game to go along with 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals, the gritty forward needs to make a superlative effort to return to form and show a commitment to the team that showed a commitment to him.
Again, I understand that the intent here is nothing but good, and he should be commended for the tremendous work he’s done in the community that largely goes unnoticed by most fans.
However, this is the time training camp would’ve begun.
This is the time to focus on basketball.
I’m not mad that he’s attempting to be creative in an effort boost his public image and do some charitable work. That’s commendable.
He’s donated an immense amount of money toward charitable efforts, but as a basketball fan, I’d like to see the player previously known as Ron Artest return to the hardwood the way that I remember him most fondly.
As a feared defender.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Artest challenges Durant in streetball
Ron Artest sees street ball becoming popular and wants to get involved. He wants to wager $300,000 that his ball team will beat Kevin Durant’s.
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
LA Lakers: What Can We Expect from Metta World Peace aka Ron Artest in 2011-12?
The NBA player originally known as Ron Artest has officially and legally become Metta World Peace. A judge has ruled as such and the ESPN.com website that shows NBA players and their stats has made the change as well. So it must be official: Bye bye, Ron-Ron.
Metta has been very busy during the summer lockout but not with basketball. He’s tried stand-up comedy (not so much), Dancing With the Stars (not so much), the aforementioned name change and his charitable work through his nonprofit, Xcel University.
If there is one thing you can honestly say about Metta World Peace is that he’s entertaining. He also has a big heart and wants to help those less fortunate and those with mental health issues.
Metta sold his one and only World Championship ring in 2010 through an online raffle and raised well over $600,000 in the process to help support mental health awareness.
The question, though, is what can we expect from World Peace if and when the NBA season starts up? His production and minutes dropped dramatically last year for the Lakers, and there is no indication yet that this will change.
Metta’s minutes (29.4) were the least amount for him in a decade. He made less than 40 percent of his shots from the field, including 37 percent from beyond the arc.
Once a scoring threat (between 2003-09 Ron Artest averaged between 16.9-24.6 points per game), World Peace is now seen mostly as a defender whose outside shot has become near nonexistent.
World Peace averaged just 8.5 points last year for the Lakers, by far the lowest average of his career and the only time he’s been under 10 points. The year before, the team’s championship run, was not much better as he averaged 11 PPG in a scheme that called for him to shoot less and defend more.
Make no mistake, the Lakers signed World Peace for his defense, and he remains one of the best in the league when he is focused, even at 32 (November 13). But, they also need him to occasionally put the ball in the hole from outside as well as in the paint. In that department, Metta has been inconsistent his two years in L.A., and there is nothing to indicate that will change.
On a team where you have several players in front of Metta as the main offensive threats (Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum), it is increasingly difficult for him to get his touches, but when he does, World Peace needs to make shots.
One good thing in this whole scenario is that World Peace played under then assistant coach Mike Brown when he was in Indiana with the Pacers. Metta thrived as a defensive stalwart under Brown, and so, one would only assume he’s happy to be reunited with him as the new coach for the Lakers.
The key to Metta’s (too bad we can’t call him Ron-Ron anymore) season boils down to conditioning and passion. How hungry is he for another title run? When World Peace puts his mind to it, he is one tough player to play against. His energy can be infectious.
If Metta is not focused and lets his outside world infiltrate what he’s trying to accomplish on the court, then he and the Lakers may not be long for each other. Mike Brown is a no-nonsense type of guy and will want his troops ready to go by the start of a new season.
Metta World Peace will be pushed for playing time by Matt Barnes, Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks. Let’s see how much he really wants it.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Dwyane Wade vs. Ron Artest: Dance-Off
Ron Artest was voted off Dancing With The Stars this week, but is he still a better dancer than Dwyane Wade?
The blog was heavy with Troy Davis this week, so it’s time to “laugh to keep from crying” as Q-Tip said on the classic A Tribe Called Quest track, Steve Biko. So let’s have a few laughs with a funny debate.
Who’s the better dancer: Wade in China…
…or Artest on DWTS?
Wade didn’t do a lot against the Chinese breakdance team, but it didn’t look like he had to since the Chinese breakers weren’t that impressive. No one’s going to confuse them with the legendary Rock Steady Crew.
Artest was trained by a professional, and you could see some of that training paid off. On the other hand, he looked absolutely bizarre. He looked a little crazy with his facial expressions, the blond hair and blond goatee. Plus, his moves seemed pretty stiff, and it looked like he was mouthing the steps during the performance.
The winner of the dance-off is…Wade.
Little to no dancing is better than what Artest did, and Wade gets extra bonus points for that cabbage patch against the Oklahoma City Thunder after he dunked on Kendrick Perkins.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) gives $100,000 to children’s charities
Lakers star Metta World Peace has donated $100,000 to his old neighborhood.
View full post on USATODAY.com Nba
Ron Artest: Is Metta World Peace Guilty of Trolling Dancing with the Stars?
Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace, a man formerly known as Ron Artest, is a man of many talents. Chief among them are defense, knocking down threes, music, comedy and just overall general weirdness.
After watching World Peace bomb on Dancing with the Stars, though, we now know that dancing is not among his array of talents. However, I do think World Peace’s DWTS appearance can lead us to add an entirely different talent to his collection:
Trolling.
My hope is that this is the word I don’t have to define in this day and age, as surely anybody who has been on or near the internet at any point in the last century knows what trolling is.
But if I must, all you really need to know is that trolling essentially involves acting like a jackass just for the sake of one’s amusement. Most people do it just for the LOLs (I’ll leave you to look that one up).
At any rate, the reason I’m willing to accuse World Peace of being guilty of trolling DWTS is because he basically hinted as much in an interview with Access Hollywood after he was booted off the show on Tuesday night after just one dance.
Said World Peace:
I’m a clown. I think I was maybe having too much fun. But you know, somebody had to go early and first. Somebody had to go. But I had a blast. The cast is great, all the dancers. I met new people, new personalities. I got a chance to experience a new thing.
That World Peace thinks of himself as a clown is not much of a revelation. His clownery, if you will, has always been self-evident.
But World Peace took it to dazzling new heights on DWTS, as brief as his time on the show was. The Dennis Rodman outfit was a stroke of mad genius, and World Peace then proceeded to sully the dance floor with a series of maneuvers that barely qualified as dancing.
For those who get World Peace, this was not painful to watch. On the contrary, it was quite glorious.
And somewhat by the man’s own admission, this was kinda the whole point. He wasn’t on DWTS to win. If I may repeat myself, he was there just for the LOLs. And I don’t know about you, but I helped myself to a few as well.
Because of that, World Peace’s time on Dancing with the Stars was not a failure. He did exactly what he wanted to do: came, had fun and left with everyone laughing and asking what the hell just happened.
Regardless, don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is the last we’ve seen of World Peace. Like all trolls, he’ll be back.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Metta World Peace: 10 Things Ron Artest Can Do Now that he’s Off DWTS
So you think you can dance, Ron “Metta World Peace” Artest?
Well guess what, pal? You can’t.
So, with Artest or World Peace or whatever the hell we’re supposed to call him being the first “star” to be eliminated on “Dancing With the Stars”—and with the NBA lockout in full “We aren’t going to budge” mode—what is Ron Ron supposed to do with all of his free time?
If he’s smart, he’ll take one of my 10 following suggestions. And no, “be a comedian” most certainly won’t be one of my suggestions.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Ron Artest: Metta World Peace Not Given a Chance on Dancing with the Stars
He threw up a brick, dribbled one off his leg and clanked one off the rim. Whatever the sports euphemism, Ron Artest failed at Dancing with the Stars. It’s the nation’s loss as Metta World Peace would have been the most memorable star ever to hit the show.
On Tuesday night, the vote was in. The first couple to sidle up to the chopping block was Metta World Peace and rookie pro, Peta Murgatroyd.
All the signs for a memorable year were there, all except the dance moves. Peace had the look and zany personality that would have had viewers puzzled and captivated for months.
They even had a catchy name that would have been the hottest new cultural phrase, “Metta Peta.” All they really needed was time.
Time was not afforded to the couple that scored the lowest on night one, notching a 14. The other start that netted a low score was Nancy Grace, the famed legal expert. She and Tristan MacManus scored a 16.
With two low scores, I was hoping America would err on the side of entertainment. Instead, the vote went to Grace, who was far more stiff in personality than Peace ever could be.
Now the show has a couple that will be ignored by fans in Week 2. Conversely, Peace would have ignited the show with hilarious quotes and odd actions that would have made Season 13 one of the best yet.
You only have to listen to Peace speak for a couple of moments to realize that he is a huge kid at heart. The self-professed loon knows that he has his issues, but he is channeling his energy for good and positivity.
That kind of emotion comes out at every turn. Peace wore a smile every second he was on DWTS. The fact that there weren’t that many seconds is a shame.
Trust me America. You just missed out on some worthwhile moments. I am sure your legal expert will infuse the show with much more laughs and entertainment.
When two stars can’t dance, you take the one that will make you smile. That was Metta World Peace.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
LA Lakers Ron Artest Fails to Dazzle in Dancing with the Stars Debut
Viewers expecting to be dazzled by Los Angeles Lakers Ron Artest’s debut last night on Dancing with the Stars Season 13 witnessed a terrestrial thud. Artest’s performance in the show’s opening number was, at best, underwhelming for DWTS’s highly-expectant audience, who’d grown accustomed to sports figures igniting the crowds.
But it was the Artest’s sketchy stage presence and raunchy, shirtless act that ultimately captured center stage and nearly turned off all the lights. Artest and his dancing partner Peta Murgatroyd placed dead last, with only 15 total points after the first round of competition.
Totally lacking charisma, Artest’s performance and feigned panache paled in comparison to former dancing jocks Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Warren Sapp, Clyde Drexler, Apollo Ono, Louie Vito, Rick Fox, Chad Ochocinco and Hines Ward, who previously excelled on the DWTS stage.
Artest’s boorish attempt at entertainment failed miserably. For a guy reaching for the dancing stars, what on earth was he trying to say when he got censored in his pre-dance video? What on earth was he hoping to accomplish doing a cheesy cha cha in a carnival barker’s outfit? And why on earth would he allow his eyes to so obviously ogle host Brooke Burke in front of 20 million viewers as she attempted to interview him post-dance?
From my vantage point, this blond-haired, modern-day NBA bad boy, now known as Metta World Peace, was not making any new friends on Dancing with the Stars.
Artest will probably not last past Week 2 of DWTS Season 13, as his dancing dis-ability combines with a zero rating on what I call the Dancing with the Stars likeability factor. It’s the DWTS likeability factor that allows even dabbling dancers to stay afloat as their fumbling feet learn to catch up with their sparkling and entertaining personalities.
If Artest hopes to hang around with the stars of the DWTS dance floor beyond Week 2, perhaps he should take a few cues from fellow athlete and former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman:
Be annoying, but in an endearing kind of way.
Be outrageous, but only as long as you can carry your eccentric self with an unwavering sense of confidence.
Be flamboyant if you want to wear another ridiculous outfit like the carnival barker suit you sported on opening night.
Rodman could have wowed DWTS judges Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Len Goodman, as well as 20 million ABC viewers at home, with an outlandish assortment of dancing moves while gracing the floor in one of his signature wedding dresses.
Likeability is akin to an art form. Properly worked, it can take you to the sky. Miss the mark, and it can land you with a thud. Rodman found his likeability in a quirky, offbeat way. Unfortunately, Artest doesn’t appear close to finding his.
If Artest plans to continue dancing with the stars, he better work fast on those dance moves and quickly find an entertaining angle. Otherwise, the only hardwood floor that dancing and sports fans will be watching the Laker on will be the one housed at center court at the Staples Center.
Straight talk. No static.
MIKE—thee ultimate talking head on sports!
http://www.facebook.com/theemikefans
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Ron Artest: “Dancing with the Stars” Future Not as Bright as New Hairstyle
We know that Ron Artest is a great basketball player. We’ve seen him effectively shut down some of the best players in the league.
What goes into playing good defense in the NBA? Well, good footwork is a must. So, you would think that a person with good footwork could take that to the dance floor.
Well, it turns out that the footwork used to shot down the likes of Paul Pierce and LeBron James doesn’t quite translate to the dance floor.
After seeing Artest’s, or Metta World Peace’s, performance on the opening night of Dancing with the Stars, it’s hard to imagine that his future is terribly bright.
His score of 14 was not only the lowest of the night, but it fell just short of his career average of 14.8 points per game. If that’s not an omen that his career is on the basketball court and not the dance floor, I don’t know what is.
On the plus side, Artest has done a lot to rehab his image in the seven years that have passed since the infamous “Malice in the Palace.” To that end, Artest should be commended. He’s made a lot of steps towards rehabbing that image and his Dancing with the Stars appearance will only help expose him to a demographic that only knows him for what happened in Detroit in 2004.
Artest is not a bad person. Whether he’s a good dancer or not is really irrelevant. I can’t say that the performance with Peta Murgatroyd was especially impressive, but what does it really matter?
Yes, other professional athletes have done very well on Dancing with the Stars, but it doesn’t hurt Artest’s overall image that he’s not off to a good start.
What should we, as sports fans, really care about with Artest?
Is he showing himself to be a good, more reliable person? Unquestionably, yes, he is. Is he still performing on the court at a high level? Well nobody is right now, but Artest is certainly not a liability there.
After seeing his performance on Monday night, it’s not likely that we’ll be seeing much of the man formerly known as Ron Artest on Dancing with the Stars. But, who really cares?
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
