Metta World Peace on his Fil-Am son Jeron’s desire to play for Gilas Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines – When Metta World Peace dropped by Luna Coffee shop Sunday, August 13 in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, there were no visible signs of the menacing troublemaker formerly known as Ron Artest.

Instead, the fans and the media were greeted by a 37-year-old man full of smiles and praise for a country he was visiting for the first time, but already holds a significant place in his heart. To the random passerby, the tall foreigner giving out t-shirts wouldn’t look like a former Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most feared competitors in NBA history. 

Off the hardwood, Metta World Peace actually does live up to his chosen identity, which bodes well for the future of his Fil-Am son – Jeron Artest.

The Artest name recently hit the Filipino social media sphere because the 16-year old Jeron applied for a Philippine passport hoping to someday play for Gilas Pilipinas. Just the name “Artest” coupled with the fact that Jeron’s mother, Jennifer Palma, is a Filipina was enough to send the country’s basketball-crazed fans in a giddy frenzy. 

As Jeron looks to join a country’s national team at a young age, Metta recounts his tumultuous prime as a professional, making his best years also the worst. 

“When I was in prime, I kept getting into a lot of trouble in the NBA,” said the Queens, New York native. “When I was Defensive Player of the Year and I finished top 6 in MVP voting, I was never invited to play for the USA team. They said they didn’t want a player like myself on a team.”

He then proudly announced that his son is “very motivated” to work hard and get an invite because playing for the national team is something he never achieved and that representing one’s own country “is different.” 

Despite Jeron’s lineage, however, Metta never let his genetics get to his son’s head. “Just because you’re my son, or just because you play basketball in America, doesn’t mean you’ll make a team,” said Metta.

Like most children of NBA stars, Jeron has to play the game to earn the name.

Jeron grew in the presence of his mother and stepdad – both of whom have been praised by Metta as great parents. 

“His mom is a great mom. He wouldn’t have come this far without her – even more than me,” admitted Metta. “And his stepdad is great – he’s doing a really great job with my son. I couldn’t be prouder, or happier, or luckier to have people in his life who care about him.”

This separation caused Metta to play a background role even though he is Jeron’s biological father. Over the years, he has made peace with their setup and still made it work for everyone. 

“I try not to get involved too much,” said Metta. “If they want me to be there, I’ll be there. If they don’t need me, that’s all okay too.” 

This led to Metta himself being surprised by his son’s decision to try for Gilas. “That’s something he wants,” said Metta. “I never envisioned him playing for this national team. He told me. He didn’t need me to figure out the right people to call – he’s a very smart kid.”

This is the same man who received the longest suspension in NBA history after the infamous “Malice at the Palace” on-court brawl 13 years ago. This is the same man who broke Michael Jordan’s ribs in a pickup game and concussed James Harden with an intentional elbow.

Yet somehow, this is also the same man who sings praises for stepfathers, signs shirts for kids and most importantly, supports wholeheartedly a son who doesn’t even need him around. 

Perhaps, just like Jeron earning the name of Artest, Metta is earning the name of Peace. – Rappler.com