Lakers World Peace, Ron Artest not going to Finland, publicity stunt

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest may not be going to Finland as widely reported.

Artest was going to play in Finland in the event of an NBA lockout, since the collective bargaining agreement ends tomorrow.

Artest was set to join Finland's LoKoKo Loimaa in September and it was even confirmed by LoKoKo's sports director.

However, Artest's agent David Bauman has recently refuted these reports.

I'm his agent and nothing has come across my desk, Bauman told the Los Angeles Times.

The whole notion strikes me as a publicity stunt, Bauman added. Nothing has come across my desk. Ron has asked me to look into options in Europe, but certainly not with a small team in Finland.

Bauman's statement likely means that Artest will look to see how the NBA lockout plays out before making a decision.

Artest recently filed a motion to officially change his name to Metta World Peace.

In 2009, Artest signed a five year $33 million deal and helped the Lakers win a championship last year.