During his first 10 seasons in the NBA, Metta Sandiford-Artest, then known as Ron Artest, had a checkered reputation.
He was one of the league’s best two-way players, as he was a guy who could lock opponents down defensively while dropping 20 points on the offensive end consistently.
However, he was involved in some ugly incidents, the most infamous of them being the so-called “Malice at the Palace,” a massive brawl at an Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons in which he and other Pacers players fought with fans and got suspended for the balance of the season.
When Sandiford-Artest joined the Lakers in the summer of 2009, many thought he was an unsavory character, but some, such as Kobe Bryant and head coach Phil Jackson, felt he was nothing more than a misunderstood soul.
Sandiford-Artest fought back his demons in his first season in L.A. and helped the Purple and Gold win the NBA championship over the Boston Celtics while suddenly becoming a fan favorite.
But several years after retiring as a player, he’s not done with basketball.
He says he wants to become a head coach and reach the pinnacle of the sport once again.
Via SportsNet New York:
“I’m definitely trying to be a head coach one day in the NBA. I’m not really forcing it. I do have a couple people reaching out to different teams. But one day, I would love to be a head coach in the NBA. I still got a lot of unfinished business in terms of winning. Because of how I got suspended, I missed out on All-Star Games, I missed out on All-Defensive First Teams, I missed out on more championships. So I’m still motivated. … I’m just as motivated as I was when I was a 15-year-old kid in the streets.
“One day I do wanna win a title as an NBA head coach. That’s my intentions.”
Over the years, Sandiford-Artest has greatly repaired his image and entered the good graces of many. He has done some admirable work in the area of mental health awareness by talking about his own struggles and urging others to seek help if needed.
He has come a long way from the man most thought he was in the 2000s.
