Ron Artest May Play Overseas

Always expect the unexpected with Ron Artest. It’s been that way since he was a hot-tempered star at St. John’s. Try to work at Best Buy while in the NBA? Only Ron. Break MJ‘s ribs? Just Ron. Start perhaps the most infamous brawl in NBA history? Yes Ron. Change your name to Metta World Peace? Ron’s trying to.

Now, there are reports that Ron Artest will attempt to play professionally in Finland this fall.

BallinEurope.com writes:

BallinEurope just received word from Hippo Taatila (via BiE pilgrim father Christophe, now of European Prospects) that Ron Artest may have topped himself in wackiness yet again – and this within a week of the announcement of his imminent name change to Metta World Peace. Reports Taatila:

“Finland’s top league Korisliiga will witness some serious NBA talent in September 2011, when Los Angeles Lakers forward/multipersonality Ron Artest will join league newcomer LoKoKo Loimaa.

“The 31-year old Artest has three years left in his Lakers contract, but that doesn’t seem to bother LoKoKo sports director Aleksi Valavuori, who backs up the rumor in Tuesday’s Ilta-Sanomat newspaper.

“We have sorted things out and I can happily confirm that Artest will arrive in Finland,” Valavuori states in the Ilta-Sanomat interview.

Artest wouldn’t be allowed to play with a FIBA team unless he reached a buyout with the Lakers. He’s actually only scheduled to play a few games with the team, just as Dennis Rodman did in 2005 and Scottie Pippen in 2008.

The basketball blog, Ball Don’t Lie, writes that the team will never sign or play Artest if it values it’s resources:

But the Finnish team? They won’t pay, nor play him. Because they fear the wrath of David Stern, which inspires the wrath of NBA influence which leads to the wrath that hits FIBA where it counts which would preclude someone like World Peace from playing international basketball.

…and:

The most prominent player that jumped into international play during the last extended lockout in 1998-99 was top NBA draft pick Michael Olowokandi, who signed with an Italian team during the lockout mainly because he was not under NBA contract at the time, as will be the case for each of the players taken in last week’s draft. There will be several draftees or free agents that could possibly jump to international gigs while this NBA mess sorts itself out, but players like Artest just won’t threaten a voided contract for a shot at a few weeks overseas.

On one hand, this is really out of the ordinary and seems random and not thought through all the way. But then at the same time, it’s Ron Artest and we’ve seen him do crazier things. Walk away from a contract with the world’s most popular basketball franchise? If anyone would do it, it’s this dude.

What do you think? Will he go through with it?

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