Ron Artest: May You Go In Peace

"Metta World Peace", yep, that's the new moniker that Ron Artest is going by, and evidently it's justa matter of time until it's his legal name now, I just hope it will fit on his new jersey.

Ron Artest is not just making a few minor changed to his name, a la Shaq's numerous nicknames like "Big Daddy", "Diesel" or "Big Luggage" -no, this is a monumental name change. Following in the footsteps of Muhammed Ali and Kareem Abdu Jabbar he's taking his name from the Eastern religious influence he's experienced lately and changed his name officially to "Metta World Peace".

Artest, um, Mr. World Peace (or Mr. Peace?) cites that he has “personal reasons” for the recent change. While it appears the new name has roots in the Buddhist tradition, there's nothing said of whether he will be adopting a new religion along with the new name change. The word “Metta” is a multifaceted word in the Buddhist faith, referring to a feeling of benevolence and kindness. If this makes Ron Ron a better player, and a better person, than May you go in Peace, Mr. Peace...