Over the course of his career, we’ve known Metta World Peace to be one of the toughest defenders to ever step on a basketball court. He’s used several different monikers, starting off his playing career as Ron Artest, his given name, and changing it to Metta World Peace before moving to China and allegedly changing it again to Panda Friend. This week, he spoke about his eccentric history of name changes with Danny Green on the baller’s podcast Inside the Green Room with Danny Green, also touching on his friendship with Kobe Bryant and his championship legacy with the Lakers.

During the sit-down talk, Metta revealed to the world that he has officially dropped World Peace from his name. Now, he goes by a combination of his wife’s last name and his original surname.

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“My name now is ‘Metta Sandiford-Artest.’ I actually took my wife’s last and added it to mine,” said the 40-year-old. He notes that he was pretty embarrassed to hop on the court for the first time after switching his name to Metta World Peace from Ron Artest, hesitating to remove his warm-up gear and show off the backside of his jersey. He also tells Green that he never actually legally adopted the Panda Friend moniker, but he just went with the reports saying he did.

Check out the name talk at the 41:40 spot below.

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Today’s date contains the jersey numbers of Gianna Bryant (2) and Kobe Bryant (24) so it was only right to hold a public memorial for them on this day. Taking place at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, a building that Kobe Bryant made famous, the legend and his daughter were remembered by the world. If you weren’t able to snatch a ticket to the event, it was live-streamed for free on TIDAL. A who’s who of people in Kobe’s life, as well as men and women who idolized him from afar, took their seats in the arena before Vanessa Bryant, Michael Jordan, Jimmy Kimmel, and others addressed the crowd.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Jimmy Kimmel speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

In the audience, famous faces could be spotted everywhere. A bunch of Kobe’s former teammates, including Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Lamar Odom, Metta World Peace, and others were seen in the audience. His former coaches and agents, including Rob Pelinka, Byron Scott, and Phil Jackson were also there. Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and Beyoncé took the stage to sing, while A-listers Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, Jay-Z, and more watched on. 

The touching ceremony was bittersweet to watch. It included speeches from MJ, a heartbreaking eulogy from Vanessa Bryant to her daughter Gigi, and more.

Mamba out, but never forgotten.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Vanessa Bryant speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Michael Jordan speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Snoop Dogg attends The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Alicia Keys performs during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Jay-Z departs after The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Shaquille O’Neal speaks during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez depart after The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images — Christina Aguilera performs during The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

There have been many tears shed across the globe over the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, and their seven friends. The group of nine were killed in a helicopter accident while on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy on Sunday (January 26), and since that time family, friends, and fans of those who lost their lives continue their attempt to reconcile their disbelief while grieving the loss of loved ones.

Ronald Martinez / Staff / Getty Images

You can’t turn on any form of media without being confronted with the news about Kobe Bryant’s death, but even with the somber reports and memories shared by those who were close to him—and those who are grieving the loss of the others involved in the harrowing incident—there are also a select few who want to take this opportunity to help put smiles on the faces of others.

Funny Kobe clips are being circulated throughout social media showing off the NBA legend’s goofy side, and there’s even a chuckle-worthy story about how he made the entire Los Angeles Lakers team take off their Kobe sneakers after a loss because they were playing soft.Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, played alongside Kobe in their Lakers glory days and he decided to share a moment with dozens of strangers while out at a restaurant.

In a clip being shared around social media, Metta buys the entire restaurant a round of drinks before sharing a quick word about his fallen friend at 8:24 p.m. “I don’t know if you’re from here or not,” Metta began. “I was his teammate and I decided to call my friend Pete and [go for a drink]. I just thought it’d be a great thing to share this moment with us because it hurt a lot of people so, cheers to Kobe.” Everyone lifted their glass for the basketball icon and those who lost their lives in the tragic accident. Check it out below.