Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest is doing something that is truly amazing and completely different from anything anybody thought he would do. The guy who in 2005 ran into the stands and punched fans is donating his first NBA Championship ring to help raise money for mental health counseling for children. The one thing he has worked his whole life to achieve he is giving away to help kids facing the same issues he did when he was a kid.
As a child he received therapy through a government program but when the funding ran up so did the therapy. In the past couple years he has seen therapists and it has helped him out tremendously. So much so that when the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics for the NBA Championship, an ecstatic Artest joyfully thanked his psychiatrist minutes after the game. Therapy has really helped him get his mind right and he would like to help kids who faced the same difficulties he did.
“When I grew up, mental health was something that wasn’t talked about. People were scared to say they were seeing a psychologist and stuff like that. Even before the championship I was telling people I was seeing a psychiatrist. When we won the championship, it was on a much more larger scale,” said Artest.
Since the incident in Detroit, Artest has made great strides to show that he is not the same person who swung wildly at fans. He is praised by his coaches and fellow players as being one of the best team-players in the game. He has great basketball skills and if it wasn’t for his mental lapses in the past he would be considered one of the best in the game. He is working to repair his image but I believe this to be a true meaningful gesture on his part.
“But I think it’ll be more important to give back to something I believe in, which is providing kids with someone to talk to because it’s so expensive. I pay for parenting counseling, marriage counseling and anger management, and it’s very expensive. This will be for children of all demographics, rich or poor — preferably the rich can pay for their own psychologists — but it’ll be a great way to help kids who don’t know where they’re going in their life at this point.”
So far many celebrities have made offers in upwards of $100,000 but Artest insists on making it a raffle and give every fan the chance to own it. He is still looking for a foundation or charity to partner with and once he does we’ll be sure to let you know. Tickets will be a few dollars but the prize is priceless to any sports fan.
