Lakers' Ron Artest changing his name — to 'World Peace'

The outspoken Artest looks to follow in the footsteps of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, formerly Chad Johnson, all in the name of what he sees as a good cause.

If his petition is cleared by the L.A. court, Artest could conceivably wear “Peace” on the back of his No. 15 Lakers jersey. A spokesperson for the Lakers referred TheDC to the NBA as to what he will wear on his jersey. It is still possible that the court will deny Artest’s petition.

Another Laker, Lew Alcindor, famously changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after converting to Islam.