Ron Artest revealed how hidden mental battles ruined his career: "My emotions were eating away at my skills. Like a parasite eating away at your body."

If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

When he came into the league as the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft, Ron Artest was a prospect that every team wanted to have on its roster. At 6'7''and weighing over 240 pounds, he was a versatile wing who even played point forward at times for St. John's University. On top of that, he was a tremendous athlete with the competitive fire to go chest-to-chest with the very best any given night. And right out of the gate, he showed every bit of that promise.

But as he later admitted, the storm inside was growing just as fast as his stellar play on the hardwood of the Association.

"I was the best two-way player in the league at 24," Artest said. "I was also spiraling downward emotionally. My emotions were eating away at my skills. Like a parasite eating away at your body. It was eating away at my skill and my work habits and my mental focus and my discipline."

A quiet storm was brewing

By the time he hit 24, Artest had already proven he was worth the hype. Even though he was shipped from the Chicago Bulls to the Indiana Pacers in his third year, the production, the grit, and the edge never dipped. If anything, he had gotten better. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award, averaging 2.1 steals and 0.7 blocks while still giving the Pacers solid offensive production. He was, arguably, the best two-way wing in basketball and the guy you definitely didn't want to see picking you up going down the court.

But underneath it all, it was boiling, and Artest knew it. He knew he wasn't in the right headspace, and although he met with counselors during high school and college, he didn't receive the type of deep-dive psychological help he truly needed until much later.

And then came one of the ugliest pages in NBA history — something that would define him for years.

The infamous Malice at the Palace in 2004 changed everything. We can all see pictures of it in our heads. Artest was lying on the scorer's table, a cup flew from the stands, and he unleashed a charge into the crowd; it was pure chaos. The punishment was just as severe.

The late Commissioner David Stern wanted to make this ugly period a warning. Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, 86 games in total. And it made the longest non-drug-related suspension in league history.

But according to Artest, the meltdown on the floor was just the tip of the iceberg of everything he had been battling when the lights turned off.

"Before I got into the brawl, I wanted to retire. I requested papers to file to the NBA. I knew something was terribly wrong and nobody really knew. The league called and asked if I really wanted to do this. I needed time away because I couldn't get a hold of myself. There were so many things bothering me, so many things I couldn't handle: Taking care of so many people, wanting to have fun, not being a loyal partner with my now ex-wife … I said, 'OK, I need a break. I need to put my life in order.' I didn't go through with retirement, but I wish I did. It wasn't about the money. I was going crazy by 2008," he added.

Artest's intensity was a double-edged sword

Looking back on everything he went through, "Ron Ron" understood better than anyone that the qualities that made him great were the same ones that held him back. The former All-Star had the kind of competitive fire that can't be coached; either you have it, or you don't. And, (thankfully) Artest had a lot of it. It's the kind of tunnel-vision intensity that separated him from most wings of his era, and he was honest enough to admit that this wasn't always a blessing.

"I'd have to say my greatest strength and weakness are the same thing—my intensity," "Tru Warier" said in his interview with SLAM magazine.

It's a sentence that perfectly captures the "Ron Artest experience." Because when he harnessed that energy, when he channeled it through structure and discipline, he became a destructive force on the defensive end and a matchup nightmare offensively. But when that same intensity spun out of its orbit, when it led him into emotional corners he couldn't fight his way out of, it derailed everything else around him. It cut into his focus and, as he ultimately admitted, cut his career.

And Artest wasn't shy about acknowledging that he spent years trying to manage what was going on inside of him while still performing at the highest level in the world. On the outside, he was going head-to-head with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and the best players of the generation. But the real battle was going on where nobody could see. Some days, he won that battle. Other days, like the one on that cold November night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, he completely lost it.

Related: Shaquille O'Neal reveals how Jeff Bezos' advice turned him into a successful investor: "He said that he invests in things that are going to change peoples' lives"

Artest carved out a successful career after all

For the first time, Artest openly admitted that even at the height of his powers, even as the league feared his defense and toughness, his mental state was slipping through his fingers.

Still, even with everything he carried, Artest found a second act. He reinvented himself in Los Angeles, becoming Metta World Peace — both literally and figuratively — and played a pivotal role next to Kobe Bryant during the Los Angeles Lakers' 2010 title run. He was the perfect running mate for the aging superstar. He hit timely shots, defended with the same ferocity and gave his heart out.

His career, by any standard, is incredibly impressive: an All-Star, a Defensive Player of the Year, an NBA champion, and one of the most feared perimeter defenders of his era. However, it seems Artest, Standiford Artest, World Peace, or however you want to call him, could have done so much more without his invisible problems.

Related: "You really don't have no idea how difficult it is until you actually have to do it"- Rashard Lewis opened up about adapting to the "Mike Miller Role" on the Miami Heat

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.