The journey from Ron Artest to Metta World Peace is a great redemption story, and on Friday morning inside City Hall, the Los Angeles City Council officially celebrated “Metta World Peace Day,” honoring the former Lakers champion for his mental health advocacy.
The recognition came after Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a resolution declaring May 15 as “Metta World Peace Day” throughout Los Angeles during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Artest was suspended 86 games after the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl in 2004, still the most notorious fight in modern American professional sports. The Nov. 19 game was between the Pacers and Pistons. Artest sparked the brawl by committing a hard foul on Ben Wallace at the end of the game. As he was lying on the scorer’s table, a fan hurled a beer at him, and Artest charged into the stands to fight the fans.
For years, that moment defined him.
But Artest rebuilt his career, eventually arriving in Los Angeles in 2009 to become a crucial piece of the Lakers’ championship team that season alongside Kobe Bryant.
Artest will forever be remembered by Lakers fans for scoring 20 points in Game 7 against the Celtics, including burying a late 3-pointer that helped secure banner No. 16.
But what Artest is being celebrated for came after the buzzer.
In his postgame news conference, Artest, who changed his name to Metta World Peace legally in 2011, famously thanked his psychiatrist.
“Mental health affects all of us. But too often, people don’t talk about it,” World Peace said. “I want to send a clear message that it’s OK to go to therapy, to ask for help and to take care of yourself.”
Soto-Martinez said the honor reflects the city’s effort to normalize mental health conversations.
“As someone who goes to therapy myself, I know how critical it is to care for your mental health,” Soto-Martinez said. “Having a role model like Metta speaking openly about his journey helps break that stigma and encourages people to seek help.”
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