Not only is World Peace in amazing condition, but he has become a very reliable scoring for the Lakers. He can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting and has shown that he can attack the paint for easy buckets.
World Peace has played 13 seasons in the NBA, and this is his fourth campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although World Peace has been criticized for his off the court antics through the years, he has experienced great success in this league. In honor of his birthday, we present you the top five Metta World Peace/Ron Artest Moments
5. Auctions off 2010 championship ring
Ron Artest won his first championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010 after edging the Boston Celtics in seven games. Artest played a vital role in the Lakers’ win in Game 7 and made crucial plays throughout the game. From his tough defense on Paul Pierce, to his clutch shooting, the Lakers would not have won the title if it weren’t for Artest.
Artest worked hard to win his championship ring, but he decided not to keep the piece of jewelry. Artest auctioned off his ring with all the proceeds going to mental health awareness. Despite all the negativity directed towards Artest in his career, this was really a heartwarming action he performed.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFMDVvsz9oM
Next Page: Number Four
4. Named 2004 NBA All-Star
Ron Artest has played in only one All-Star Game in his career, and it came in 2004. The game was played in Los Angeles, and Artest finished the match with seven points, three rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes of play.
The 2003-04 season was perhaps Artest’s most productive season as he averaged 18.3 points and 5.3 rebounds and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. At the time, Artest played for the Indiana Pacers and he was considered an elite NBA player and the best perimeter defender in the league.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25LpTphnv38
Next: Number Three
3. Hits game-winning shot in 2010 Western Conference Finals against Phoenix Suns
In the Los Angeles Lakers’ pursuit of the 2010 championship, they faced off with Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers and Suns met many times in the postseason before and just like those match-ups, this one was closely contested. The Lakers and Suns were tied at two games each heading into Game 5, and the Lakers knew they needed to win in front of their fans if they wanted to head back to the NBA Finals.
The game was tied heading into the final possession, and all signs pointed to Kobe Bryant hitting the last shot. However, it was Artest that came to the rescue as he hit the game-winner to give the Lakers a 3-2 edge in the series.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vLwAnzpryE
Next: Number Two
2. Wins 2003-04 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
Unlike Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Ron Artest has not collected a ton of individual accolades during his NBA career. The only time Artest has won any type of distinction was in the 2003-04, when he was named the best defender in the league.
Artest was hands down the best perimeter defender in the league and he had the ability to shut down the most explosive players in the NBA. Scorers were always weary when going up against Artest, and even to this day, coaching staffs can rely on him on that end of the court.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhOPIJ_D02c
Next: Number One
1. Wins 2010 NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers
Ron Artest signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2009, as the team came off winning the NBA championship that very summer. On the previous Lakers roster, the starting small forward was Trevor Ariza, a younger and more explosive player than Artest.
There were a lot of questions about Artest and whether or not he could fill Ariza’s void and if the could mesh with Kobe Bryant. At that point of his career, Artest was losing a little bit of his step and many people doubted if he could help the Lakers win a second consecutive title.
Even though it took Artest some time to get adjusted with the Lakers, he eventually found his niche on the team. The Lakers managed to get back to the postseason and they faced off with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
The series ended up going seven games, but thanks to Artest’s incredible game, the Lakers ended up winning the title in front of their fans at Staples Center. Artest finished the match with 20 points, five rebounds and two three-point field goals.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQQobw_JrJU
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgRdRwNgs9A