The eccentric player once known as Ron Artest was never much known for subtlety or nuance during his NBA career, consistently generating headlines for peculiar acts and occasional violence.
Apparently, the tiniest details have suddenly become important.
Artest, who legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011, was released by the New York Knicks last season and has surfaced in a Chinese league, where he has again reinvented himself.
The China Daily leaked the news that Artest will be playing this season under the name Panda Friend, but the small forward set the record straight when he tweeted a correction last week.
“Guys my chinese is not “Panda Friend,” it’s “The Pandas Friend.”
The World Peace moniker was an attempt to foster more pacifistic behaviour, and he wore the name on the back of his NBA jersey.
The Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association signed Artest, 34, who was once suspended for brawling in the grandstands with fans while playing for the Indiana Pacers.
His name change precipitated the usual sarcastic blowback in social media, with fans photoshopping pictures of Artest alongside panda bears, and one suggesting that his next name should be “Not Relevant”.
He signed a one-year deal worth $1.43 million (Dh5.25m), making him the highest-paid player in the league, according to reports.
“I have more creativity coming in china. Im only there for 4months, so I will make sure its fun and successful before I head back to America,” he tweeted.
For the record, the name on the former All-Star’s US birth certificate is Ronald William Artest Jr.
A star at St John’s University, he played in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Knicks.
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