Metta World Peace, the professional basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest, plays one of the most ferocious brands of hoops there is. But when it comes to accommodating new ideas and new places, he’s a softy. A former NBA All-Star, World Peace now plays in China. And so he’s chosen a new moniker: “Panda Friend.” China Daily reports that even the lovely translation of Metta World Peace–“Ci Shiping”–isn’t good enough for the biggest American star in China. Artest/World Peace/Panda Friend, as anyone who has played against him will attest, always wants to go you one better.
Panda Friend is the highest paid non-Chinese player in the Chinese Basketball Association. He figures a little name change–to go with the new job–is the least he can do.
Free your mind!!! Support my creativity or i will stop. I have something special coming!!! pic.twitter.com/cB9KHXO9Hh
— mettaworldpeace.com (@MettaWorldPeace) August 9, 2014
