Ron Artest and the Craziest Good Guys in Sports

Ron Artest is one of many crazy good guys in the world of sports.

By crazy good guys, I mean athletes that may seem unstable, but really aren't bad people. Players who were at one time a bit wild, but have since reformed themselves. An athlete that appears to be self-absorbed and unstable, but is actually very charitable.

For one reason or another, these athletes have earned a reputation for being crazy and/or unstable. But at their very core, they're not such bad people.

15. Jim McMahon

Jim McMahon was known for his headbands and the Super Bowl Shuffle video.

Anyone who took part in that music video had to be at least a little bit crazy, but McMahon stood out the most in that group.

McMahon was a bit of a free spirit and he even once mooned journalists who asked him about the status of his buttocks injury.

McMahon actually looked a lot like Jim Carrey in his playing days, further pushing the notion that he was a bit crazy.

14. Chad Ochocinco

Chad Ochocinco was at one time known as Chad Johnson, but legally changed his last name to reflect his jersey number in Spanish.

If that's not crazy, I'm not sure what is.

Ochocinco is perhaps best known for his touchdown celebrations. However, he had to stop them after the fines started to come down and take its toll on his wallet.

However, he runs and supports numerous charities and he's genuinely a nice guy. On occasion, he'll post a restaurant location on his twitter feed and buy lunch/dinner for all of the fans that show up.

13. Bas Rutten

Bas Rutten was crazy enough to get into the ring with Ken Shamrock. While that should be enough to get him on this list, his self defense video—which, by the way, is all serious and not a joke—only makes him a lock to make it here.

He may have been brutal in the ring, but outside he was just a big goofball.

Rutten even recounted a story where he accidentally stepped on Brian Urlacher's toes at a charity event and even after Rutten apologized and offered to buy him a drink, Urlacher went as far to ask him to step outside. Rutten was crazy enough to stand up to him and accept his offer. However, after a bouncer explained who Rutten was, Urlacher stepped down and apologized.

You know you approach a new level of intimidation and craziness when your reputation is enough to get one of the most fearsome linebackers in the NFL to step down and apologize.

12. Quinton Rampage Jackson

Quinton Rampage Jackson is one of the more flamboyant and wild personalities in the UFC.

Well, one night he led police cars on a chase that ended up with Jackson being sent to a hospital for a mental evaluation.

Clearly he wasn't in the right state of mind.

Not to mention the various interviews he has given where he falls short of actually raping the woman interviewing him. If Jackson wasn't a big time star in the world of MMA, he would probably be in jail for rape.

In light of his antics, he's just a big goofball that likes to have fun.

11. Ray Lewis

Have you ever seen Ray Lewis' pregame dance?

Once Lewis steps on the field, he flips on the crazy switch. He may be the most intense linebacker that I've ever seen and he can strike fear with just a glance.

His reputation took a serious hit when he was accused of murder, but that charges were eventually dropped.

Lewis is heavily involved in a number of charities and he has been given awards for his contributions.

10. Serena Williams

Serena Williams may be the most terrifying female athlete in the history of sports. She's built like a linebacker and could probably play in the NFL if she wanted to.

Williams made headlines during the U.S. Open after she went berserk on a line judge. Instead of simply disagreeing with the call. Williams took it a step further and threatened her.

Despite her clear temper, Williams is one of the most charitable athletes in all of sports.

9. Dock Ellis

Dock Ellis will always be known for the infamous no-hitter he pitched against the San Diego Padres on June 12, 1970.

However, this was no ordinary no-hitter. Ellis has given interviews stating that he unwittingly took LSD before the game thinking he wasn't going to pitch until the next day.

Ellis ended up striking out six and walking eight batters. His catcher, Jerry May, purportedly had to wear reflective tape on his fingers to help him aim.

Despite his drug use, Ellis made a career as a drug counselor after retiring from baseball.

8. Bill

Bill Lee was a part of the counter culture which made him such a polarizing figure in baseball. He earned the nickname the "Spaceman" for his personality.

Lee was very outspoken and he was constantly in the media for extreme comments on various issues.

He also once threatened to bite off the ear of an umpire in the 1975 World Series.

In the end, Lee was really harmless. His mouth got him into trouble on many occasions, but he never took his actions too far.

7. Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych became a popular figure in the world of baseball with his antics on the field.

He would fix cleat marks that were on the mound, talk to himself and the ball, and take any balls that had been hit out of the game.

At the same time, he was just an all-around nice guy. He was known to shake the hands of every player after the game and he was beloved by his teammates and the fans who packed the stadiums to watch him.

6. Yuichiro Nagashima

Yuichiro Nagashima is a Japanese K-1 kickboxer and MMA practitioner.

While he's won numerous bouts and he is a solid fighter, he'll always be known for his pre-fight antics.

Nagashima is a cosplayer and frequently cross-dresses. His pre-fight introductions are the stuff of legend. He will at times sing and dance and do all sorts of crazy things.

5. John McEnroe

John McEnroe and temper tantrums are practically synonymous.

He was the bad boy of tennis and while he may have led you to think he was a full-time player, you are sadly mistaken. He was placed on those courts to argue with the umpire and berate thm at every turn.

McEnroe was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode the moment he stepped onto a tennis court and he was clearly a bit unstable during his playing days.

However, he has ridden his personality and famed temper to success after retiring from Tennis and he uses his status and wealth to support a number of charities.

4. Terrell Owens

Despite Owens being portrayed as a calculating, stoic and self-absorbed diva, he's an emotional wreck at heart. He has a reputation for feuding with his quarterbacks, but in the end he's got their back.

While Owens gets a ton of bad publicity, people generally aren't aware of all the charity work that he does.

Owens donates a lot of money to charity and he really isn't all that bad despite his diva reputation.

3. Ron Artest

Ron Artest's reputation took a serious hit in 2004 when he started the "Malice at the Palace". Artest took to the stands and attacked a Pistons' fan after he threw a cup of beer at him.

Artest has always been known for being a bit crazy and unstable, but he appears to have turned over a new leaf with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Even so, he's still not a player you want to mess around with on the court.

Now, Artest speaks to others about mental health, he auctioned off his NBA championship ring to raise money for that same cause and appears to have turned his life around for the better.

2. Dennis Rodman

Dennis Rodman was known for his wild antics more than his lock down defense on the hardwood.

It all started with his time on the Detroit Pistons and he really started to open up his flamboyant personality in the early 90s.

The wedding dress is enough to get him on this list, but he has countless incidents that could put him up here just the same.

Rodman's reputation really hasn't improved a whole lot since his retirement, but he participates in charity events and even runs a few of his own.

1. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson was at one point the Baddest Man on the Planet. He had a checkered past and a controversial career in boxing.

Tyson was the definition of unstable.

However, he has since reformed himself and turned his life around. Sure, he's had some problems with drug addiction, but he genuinely seems to be a rehabilitated man.

He has denounced all of his past actions and he does a lot of charity work now.

If you want a closer look at the new Tyson, I suggest you watch the documentary by the same name.