Metta World Peace to become Panda Friend?

[Andrew]

Take it with more than a grain of salt.

Metta World Peace is looking to change his name in anticipation of his move to the Chinese Basketball Association, and one Chinese newspaper is reporting the man formerly known as Ron Artest will now be called Panda Friend.

So far China Daily is the only source to report the new name, so it may not be real, but Peace did tweet out that he would be adopting a new Chinese name, and has already made plans to visit the adorable endangered animals with his daughter.

So yeah, quite possibly nothing to it at all, or maybe just a nickname that he's going to adopt as some kind of marketing gimmick, but when it comes to The Artist Formerly Known As Artest...well, you just never know.

If nothing else, it sounds like his NBA career is likely over.

[Moz]

Next thing you know he'll change his name again and he's doing porn... This guy must be very pissed at his father that he keeps changing his name...

[shadowgrin]

It's just the Chinese character (letter) name or specifically the Chinese characters to be used in spelling out his real name will use the base characters for 'Panda' and 'Friend'.

[Kevin]

Artest will and always will be Artest.

[ThePointForward]

Let's just hope all the pandas in chibe will stay safe... Unlike Harden which got elbowed by Artest to the neck in a week or so after he changed his name to World Peace (if I recall correctly).

[AADC]

The pandas will brawl if he changes his name.

[Stress Fracture]

Let's just hope all the pandas in chibe will stay safe... Unlike Harden which got elbowed by Artest to the neck in a week or so after he changed his name to World Peace (if I recall correctly).

He's already World Peace when he elbowed Harden.

[NovU]

I've heard this news quite awhile ago that he was considering a name change to Panda something, now I guess it's official.

It's just the Chinese character (letter) name or specifically the Chinese characters to be used in spelling out his real name will use the base characters for 'Panda' and 'Friend'.

Does the name make more sense in Chinese characters and culture though?

[shadowgrin]

Chineses making sense? Don't make me laugh...

[shadowgrin]

Now World Peace, who begins his first season with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association in November, is planning to go by "The Pandas Friend" and wear shoes that are, ummm, just take a look for yourself:

mettaworldpeace.com ✔ @MettaWorldPeace

The bear is not detachable. The Teddy bear is a permanent and is the pandas friend!

The ears on the side are also not detachable.
Enjoy

[Kevin]

What the actual fuck.

[Andrew]

Huh. I'd have thought that the teddy would've resembled a panda.

Not that it would've made the whole affair any less strange, of course.