Metta Sandiford-Artest facts for kids
Sandiford-Artest with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 13, 1979 Queens, New York, U.S. |
| High school | La Salle Academy (Manhattan, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | St. John's (1997–1999) |
| NBA Draft | 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall |
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | |
| Pro career | 1999–2017 |
| Coaching career | 2017–2018 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1999–2002 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2002–2006 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2006–2008 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2008–2009 | Houston Rockets |
| 2009–2013 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2013–2014 | New York Knicks |
| 2014 | Sichuan Blue Whales |
| 2015 | Cantù |
| 2015–2017 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| As coach: | |
| 2017–2018 | South Bay Lakers (player development) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 13,058 (13.2 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,448 (4.5 rpg) |
| Assists | 2,631 (2.7 apg) |
Metta Sandiford-Artest (born Ronald William Artest Jr.; November 13, 1979) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He played for 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was known as Ron Artest for most of his career. Later, he legally changed his name to Metta World Peace, and then to Metta Sandiford-Artest.
He played college basketball for the St. John's Red Storm. The Chicago Bulls drafted him in 1999. In 2001, he joined the Indiana Pacers. There, he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was also named an NBA All-Star that year.
Later, he was involved in a big incident during a game. He was suspended for the rest of the 2004–05 season. After playing for the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009. He helped the Lakers win the NBA championship in 2010. He retired from playing in 2017.
Contents
- Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
- College Basketball Journey
- Professional Basketball Career
- Starting with the Chicago Bulls (1999–2002)
- Time with the Indiana Pacers (2002–2006)
- Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2006–2008)
- Time with the Houston Rockets (2008–2009)
- Winning a Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers (2009–2013)
- New York Knicks (2013–2014)
- Playing Overseas (2014–2015)
- Return to the Lakers (2015–2017)
- Coaching Career
- NBA Career Stats
- Media and Other Interests
- Personal Life and Family
- Images for kids
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Metta Sandiford-Artest was born Ronald William Artest Jr. on November 13, 1979. He grew up in Queens, New York. He has two younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel.
He played high school basketball at La Salle Academy. He also played on an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team. Future NBA players Elton Brand and Lamar Odom were his teammates.
College Basketball Journey
Artest played college basketball at St. John's University. He played there from 1997 to 1999. He studied mathematics while in college.
In 1999, he led the St. John's Red Storm to a great season. They reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division I Tournament. They lost to Ohio State. Artest became well-known playing in summer basketball tournaments in New York City.
Professional Basketball Career
Starting with the Chicago Bulls (1999–2002)
The Chicago Bulls picked Artest as the 16th player in the 1999 NBA draft. He played 175 games for the Bulls over two and a half years. He was a starter for most of these games.
He averaged about 12.5 points and over four rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his first season.
Time with the Indiana Pacers (2002–2006)
In the middle of the 2001–02 season, the Bulls traded Artest to the Indiana Pacers. He joined the Pacers with Ron Mercer, Brad Miller, and Kevin Ollie.
In 2003, Artest had a disagreement with Miami Heat coach Pat Riley. He was suspended for four games. During the 2003–04 season, he played very well. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Artest was chosen for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. He also won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
A Difficult Moment: The Malice at the Palace
On November 19, 2004, Artest was involved in a big incident. It happened during a game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. This event led to a long suspension for Artest. He missed 86 games, which was the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history.
After the Incident and Trade
After playing 16 games in the 2005–06 season, Artest asked to be traded. This caused some tension with his teammates. On January 24, 2006, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings sent Peja Stojaković to the Pacers in return.
Playing for the Sacramento Kings (2006–2008)
Artest quickly fit in with the Kings. He brought strong defense to the team. Many people worried about his personality, but he worked well with his teammates and coach Rick Adelman. He wore jersey number 93 for the Kings.
After Artest joined, the Kings played much better. They won 14 of their next 19 games. This helped them reach the playoffs. In the playoffs, he was suspended for one game. This was due to a foul on Manu Ginóbili. The Kings were eventually eliminated from the playoffs.
Artest showed great team spirit after the playoffs. He offered to donate his salary to help keep teammate Bonzi Wells with the team. He also offered to donate his salary to keep coach Rick Adelman.
Time with the Houston Rockets (2008–2009)
On July 29, 2008, Artest was traded to the Houston Rockets. He joined the Rockets with Patrick Ewing Jr. and Sean Singletary. In return, the Kings received Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene, a 2009 draft pick, and cash.
Rockets star Yao Ming was positive about the trade. Artest said he was ready to do whatever coach Adelman needed. In the playoffs, Artest helped the Rockets move past the first round. This was the first time in 12 seasons for the team.
Winning a Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers (2009–2013)
In July 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Artest. He signed a five-year deal. He chose jersey number 37. He said it was to honor Michael Jackson and his Thriller album.
In the 2010 Western Conference Finals, Artest made a game-winning shot. This sent the Lakers to the NBA Finals. In the Finals, the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics. Artest scored 20 points in the final game. He made a key three-pointer late in the game. Lakers coach Phil Jackson called Artest the most valuable player of Game 7. He won his first championship ring with the Lakers.
For the 2010–11 season, Artest changed his number back to 15. This was his college number. In April 2011, Artest won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award. This award recognizes players for their community service.
Name Change and Later Seasons
Artest legally changed his name to Metta World Peace during the offseason. He wanted his name to inspire and unite young people. "Metta" is a Buddhist word meaning loving kindness.
In April 2012, World Peace accidentally elbowed James Harden during a game. He was suspended for seven games. This meant he missed the last regular season game and some playoff games.
In the 2012–13 season, World Peace faced some injuries. He tore a part of his left knee in March 2013. He had surgery and returned to play 12 days later. He wanted to help his teammates who were also dealing with injuries. The Lakers made the playoffs but lost in the first round. In July 2013, the Lakers released World Peace.
New York Knicks (2013–2014)
On July 16, 2013, World Peace signed with his hometown team, the New York Knicks. He signed a two-year deal. On February 24, 2014, the Knicks released him.
Playing Overseas (2014–2015)
In August 2014, World Peace signed with the Sichuan Blue Whales in China. He played 15 games there. In March 2015, he signed with Pallacanestro Cantù in Italy. He played there for the rest of the season.
Return to the Lakers (2015–2017)
On September 24, 2015, World Peace returned to the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed with the team again. His teammate Kobe Bryant praised his defensive impact.
On September 21, 2016, World Peace re-signed with the Lakers. On April 11, 2017, he scored 18 points in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. This helped the Lakers win their fifth straight game. He also moved up in the NBA's all-time steals list.
Coaching Career
World Peace worked as a player development coach. He coached for the South Bay Lakers in 2017–18. This is the Los Angeles Lakers' development-league team. He also played 3x3 basketball in the BIG3 league. He used the name Ron Artest again for this league.
NBA Career Stats
Metta Sandiford-Artest had a long and impactful NBA career. Here are some of his career averages:
- Points per game: 13.2
- Rebounds per game: 4.5
- Assists per game: 2.7
- Steals per game: 1.7
Media and Other Interests
Television Appearances
In April 2010, it was announced that Artest would create his own reality show. It was called They Call Me Crazy. He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2011. He was eliminated in the first week.
In October 2012, he was a guest on Nickelodeon's game show Figure It Out. In September 2013, he appeared in comedy skits on Key and Peele. He played a newscaster in a series called "Metta World News." He also competed on Lip Sync Battle in 2017.
In January 2018, World Peace was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. He was the fourth celebrity to be voted out. In 2023, he competed on The Masked Singer as "Cuddle Monster."
Artest Media Group
World Peace started his own company, the Artest Media Group, in 2010. This company helps manage brands. It works with music artists and producers.
Music Career
On October 31, 2006, Artest released a rap album. It was called My World. He released it under his own record label, Tru Warier Records.
Helping Others: Advocacy
Metta Sandiford-Artest is involved in advocacy for mental health issues. In December 2010, he said he would donate some of his salary to mental health charities. He also sold his 2009–10 championship ring. He gave the money to mental health charities across the country. He wants people to understand that mental health is a wide topic. He encourages people to ask questions about different conditions like depression or anxiety.
He has also worked with PETA. He supports campaigns that encourage people to report animal abuse. He also promotes spaying and neutering pets.
Personal Life and Family
On September 16, 2011, Artest officially changed his name to Metta World Peace. He chose "Metta" because it means loving kindness. He chose "World Peace" as his last name to inspire unity.
Metta World Peace has children with his former wife, Kimsha Hatfield. Their children are Sadie, Ron III, and Diamond. His son, Ron III, also became a professional basketball player. World Peace also has another son, Jeron. He became a grandfather when his eldest daughter Sadie had her first child.
On May 4, 2020, he changed his name again. He became Metta Sandiford-Artest. This combined his last name with his second wife's last name, Maya Sandiford.
Sandiford-Artest also has his own company called The Artest Management Group. This company helps athletes with things like tax preparation. He is also interested in mathematics. He uses this interest to develop a sports app. He also takes analytics classes at UCLA. In 2023, he became a partner in MOORvision Technologies and Ucam. Ucam is a camera designed to show games from an athlete's point of view.
Images for kids
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Sandiford-Artest with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2015
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Artest during his tenure with the Sacramento Kings
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Artest playing for the Houston Rockets in the 2008–09 NBA season
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Artest guarding Corey Maggette of Golden State in 2009
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World Peace and Laker Pau Gasol against Washington's JaVale McGee in 2012
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Artest celebrates at the 2010 Lakers Championship parade
