Miami Heat sign NBA legend Ron Artest’s son for their G League team

Metta World Peace during a BIG3 - Week Eight press conference.
Metta World Peace during a BIG3 - Week Eight press conference.

The Miami Heat announced earlier today that they had signed Ron Artest III, former NBA player Ron Artest’s son for their G League team the Sioux Falls Skyforce. His father was previously known as Ron Artest but legally changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011, and last played in the NBA for the LA Lakers in 2017.

His son, Ron Artest III has been part of the CSU Northridge Matadors College basketball team and made his debut as a freshman back in the 2018-19 season. Since then, Ron Artest III has acquired a reputation as a defensive-minded forward. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds last season whilst playing only 17.8 minutes per game. Artest III is not as prolific as his father but is a dogged defender capable of running up and down the court continuously. He will be joining the NBA G League with one eye on a potential NBA move in the coming years.


Miami Heat sign Ron Artest III for the Sioux Falls Skyforce NBA G League team

The Miami Heat announced the signing earlier today, with Artest III joining the G League team for the time being. Artest was eligible to join the NBA draft this year and is already 22 years old. He played for the Matadors for three seasons and played for Beverly Hills High School from 2015 before making the move to the Matadors at the start of the 2018-19 season.

He will be hoping to take the same route to the NBA as the likes of LiAngelo Ball and Dylan Windler have taken in the past few years, and can opt to be a part of the 2022 NBA draft. Regardless, the move promises to add to the legend of his father, who played in the NBA for a total of 17 seasons.

Metta World Peace won the 2010 NBA championship alongside Kobe Bryant at the LA Lakers and was selected as an All-Star six years earlier, in 2004. He played for a total of six NBA teams but effectively had his best years for the Indiana Pacers, registering 24.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game during the 2004-05 season.

Metta World Peace with LeBron James during the BIG3 - Championship
Metta World Peace with LeBron James during the BIG3 - Championship

The year proved to be the only time that Metta World Peace managed to average more than 20 points per game throughout a season. He came closest in 2005 and subsequently moved on to the Sacramento Kings. Metta World Peace was a starting forward until around the 2013 season when he moved on from the LA Lakers to the Sacramento Kings. Overall, his son will be attempting to follow in his father’s footsteps and enjoy a successful NBA career.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar