Last night after the Heat had finished wiping the Lakers off the map (or the Lakers had finished wiping themselves off, depending on who you ask), Ron Artest had himself a little party. And at this party, he finally auctioned off his 2010 NBA Championship ring with all proceeds going to support mental health awareness. The winner, among stars like Denzel Washington and the Laker fan elite? Raymond Mikkael, father of four from Hawthorne, California.
Artest really is a hero for doing this, and it’s a sacrifice that shows his commitment to the cause. As much as it may seem insulting to others who have the ring or just more of Artest being wacky, giving back this way gets him press (much like this). A simple donation would be a footnote in an article about the Lakers getting trounced by Miami, but auctioning off the championship ring gets more people interested and could really do some good. It’s a sacrifice, but in the end, that’s sometimes the only way to truly create change.