"Metta World Peace" to Lakers: "You Can Still Call Me Ron"

He might have legally changed his name to Metta World Peace, but the Los Angeles Lakers forward told his teammates he will still answer to the name of Ron.

The former-Ron Artest said, "I really don't have a preference" about what you call him at a Lakers shootaround.

He even smiled when someone called him "Queensbridge" at a press conference yesterday.

If you aren't from New York City, the Queensbridge projects are the former- St. John's basketball star's old stomping grounds and some of the toughest streets in the city.

World Peace was very busy during the NBA lockout auctioning off his championship ring for 500+K and donating the proceeds to mental health organizations, PETA and children's charities.

At a recent Lakers' game against the Utah Jazz, fans at the Staples Center chanted, "We Want World Peace" while the former-Ron Artest sat on the bench.

That seemed to be music to the New Yorker's ears.

"I think I accomplished a lot already," he said.  "Changing lives."

People in the media are still getting used to the revised name and even his new coach Mike Brown admitted it's not in the Lakers' vocabulary yet.

"I try to call him Metta more than anyone else," the coach said.  "And then you hear Steve Blake say, 'Hey Ron' or Kobe say 'Hey Ron-Ron' and it throws me off.  I'm trying, but no one's helping me."

It's doesn't matter what he is calling himself these days because when the former-Redmen star steps onto the streets of New York, he's still Ron Artest from Queens.