Metta World Peace

Though he was one of the NBA's best defenders, professional basketball player Ron Artest quickly developed a reputation for being one of the game's most vitriolic and confrontational stars. Born on Nov. 13, 1979 in Queens, NY, Artest was raised in the projects and played basketball for La Salle Academy, a private school in Manhattan. From there, he attended St. John's University, where he played small forward from 1997-99 and helped the Red Storm reach the Elite Eight in the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship tournament. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the 16th overall pick in the 1999 draft, and played two and a half seasons in the Windy City, where he averaged 12.5 points per game. Halfway through the 2001-02 season, Artest was traded to the Indiana Pacers, where he had one of his best-ever seasons in 2003-04, averaging 18.3 points per game and making the All-Star Game reserve team while also being named Defensive Player of the Year.