NBA Champion and All-Star, Coach, Mental Health Advocate and Entrepreneur Metta World Peace (fka Ron Artest) has joined BigSpeak’s exclusive roster!

Best known for the highs (making the shot that won the 2010 NBA Championship for the Lakers) and lows (the infamous “Malice in the Palace” brawl) of his career and his openness in discussing his struggle with depression and anxiety, Metta World Peace was awarded the “Mental Health Hero” award for his advocacy and activism. An authentic and inspirational speaker, he shares his journey from the projects in Queensbridge, NY to NBA superstardom.

Today, World Peace continues his mission to build awareness for the importance of mental health, particularly in underserved communities like the one where he grew up. He is the Chief Impact Director of OOTify, a social impact technology platform that provides mental health infrastructure such as therapy, coaching, education and other innovative mental health solutions to enterprises such as hospitals, corporations, universities and nonprofits. He is the founder and chairman of Artest Management Group, currently raising a $1 billion venture fund to support his portfolio companies with marketing, strategy and other support.

Want to make mental health a priority in 2023? Metta World Peace will transform your organization, encourage your team members to seek help, find support and lead others to do the same.

KEYNOTE: BE ON TOP OF YOUR GAME BY TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Knowing you need to take care of your mental health is a sign of strength these days, however, this was not always the case. Especially in sports, athletes were often afraid to seek help to deal with the pressures of the game and life in general. Perhaps, fearing it would make them look weak, athletes often suffer in silence or if pressures become too much to bear, act out. Metta is one of the first professional athletes to publicly speak out on the topic of mental health and has helped raise awareness and remove the stigmas often associated with mental health issues. Through his persistent advocacy, Metta has been a key player in destigmatizing mental health issues, He speaks from experience and is a living example of  how getting support has helped improve his life and game. In this riveting talk by the former NBA champion, you will learn that  to be on top of your own game, mental health and wellness must be prioritized. Audiences will walk away recognizing the importance of seeking help, learning how to find support when they are in need and how to support others that may be struggling.

“I remember calling Metta at 1am the night before a game to practice and he met me at the facility no questions asked… Instead of running drills we spoke for hours about the game. Metta understands the game is not just physical but mental and coached and mentored me in both areas.”

– Julius Randle, 2021 NBA Most Improved Player