He came to Los Angeles as the ringless Ron Artest and, after being waived via the amnesty clause, leaves L.A. as former champion Metta World Peace. The Los Angeles Lakers officially parted ways with World Peace on Thursday night in an NBA luxury tax-cutting measure that will mean approximately $14 million in savings for the team. "It's tough to say goodbye to a player such as Metta, who has been a significant part of our team the past four seasons. For anyone who's had the opportunity to get to know him, it's impossible not to love him," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a release. "He has made many contributions to this organization, both in his community work as well as in our games; perhaps no more so than in his clutch play in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals in helping to lead us over the Celtics in one of the greatest playoff wins in Lakers history. "We thank Metta for all his contributions and wish him the best of luck in the future." Source: ESPN LA
