Ron Artest Wants to Be Called Mr. 'Metta World Peace'

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest, 31, is an important part of the team and has shown that he is quite unique. However he is looking to distinguish himself even more off the court as well.

Back in June 2010 Artest gained some publicity for publicly thanking his therapist during an interview after the Lakers won the 2010 NBA Finals.

He has also previously donated part of his salary to mental health charities.

Now, he is reportedly changing his name to Metta World Peace and has filed with L.A County Superior Court according to TMZ.

If the filing goes through he will have Peace on his Jersey along with his number 15.

The court will decide and notify Artest whether they will approve the name by August 26, 2011.

The world metta is the virtue of kindness in Buddhism.

Now, Lakers fans will wait to see whether Mr. Metta World Peace will bring true peace to the Lakers and help bring another Championship Los Angeles next year.

He scored 14.8 points and grabbed 4.8 rebounds per game in 2010-11 season.