A basketball player, formerly known as Ron Artest, is planning to change his name again, from "Metta World Peace" to "The Panda's Friend".
Ron Artest recently transferred to China to play basketball with the Sichuan Blue Whales. After realizing the dangers posed to China's giant panda, he decided to support the endangered species in his own unique way. It is not yet confirmed whether he will be changing to the new name officially as he did when he became Metta World Peace through a court process in 2011. He legally had his named changed seven years after he was suspended for one whole season for getting involved in a fan-player brawl in Detroit.
In a Yahoo! Sports report, the former Defensive Player of the Year made the announcement on Twitter on August 1, 2014: "New Chines name coming soon. You guys are going to love it!!!!" On August 8, he tweeted, "Guys my chinese name is not "Panda Friend", its "The Pandas Friend" in a report by NY Daily News.
The name is definitely weird as well as funny for most people but it does generate interest and draw attention to the living conditions of the Asian animal. The giant panda is located in Sichuan province in Southwest China, where Metta's new team is based.
After playing 15 years in the NBA, the small forward was waived by the New York Knicks in February 2014. He worked as an assistant basketball coach for a girls' team at Palisades High School in California. In a blog by Syracuse.com, Metta played in different teams in the NBA like the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers. The 34-year-old former Knick is set to earn $1.43 million while playing for the Chinese Basketball Association for one year. He will be the highest-paid player ever in the league.
In the NBA, nickname jerseys have been allowed which add fun and excitement to games. One notable game between the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets featured several nicknames such as "King James", "The Truth", "The Big Ticket", "Jesus Shuttlesworth" and "Birdman" among others. Fans actually hope that some of their favorite stars would also wear their alternate jerseys like "Black Mamba", "Big Fundamental", "Uncle Drew" and "Swaggy P". These can actually be used as promotional tools or as a means to support causes and campaigns in various parts of the globe, just like Metta World Peace and The Panda's Friend.