Metta World Peace on Joining the Lakers: ‘I Didn’t Hear That’

It was reported early last week members within the Los Angeles Lakers organization were seriously considering bringing back Metta World Peace, formerly Ron Artest, for one last stint with the team, but no deal had taken place, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

Too bad World Peace didn’t get the memo.

TMZ Sports asked him about the story that was circulating the Internet, and he didn’t seem to know too much about the rumors.

“I didn’t hear that,” World Peace said. “Where you heard that at? Oh really? I was like I have four kids, so I didn’t hear nothing about that.”

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That’s his version at least, and he’s sticking to it. It’s certainly plausible there is nothing going on between the two parties.

It’s also possible World Peace was just playing it close to the vest, but maybe there’s nothing to talk about. It’s hard to imagine a ton of prospects for the 35-year-old veteran.

After all, World Peace’s last stint in the NBA was with the New York Knicks, and that didn’t go so well. The Knicks practically begged him to go away and eventually waived him on Feb. 24, 2014 following a buy-out agreement with his agent.

Most people seem to think he’s done. World Peace doesn’t see it that way, and he would love another opportunity to play for the purple and gold.

“Basketball’s pretty easy,” World Peace said. “I mean basketball’s an easy sport, and a lot of professionals I mean they okay. They not nothing special. I love basketball. Of course, I won a championship here. I like the Lakers. Basketball is easy. It’s not complicated. It’s simple.”

The numbers don’t exactly back that statement up.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/2/2015.

Part of the initial speculation arose because World Peace was spotted working out with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Julius Randle, inside the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers practice facility.

Apparently the two have been training there all summer.

It’s possible World Peace is just using the kid to get in shape for a potential return to the NBA this season, but he could also be helping the second-year player develop his game.

World Peace is easily one of the strongest players to ever play the game and having to go up against that every day would be a real challenge. It should help Randle adapt to the physicality of the NBA game.

If anything, Randle should pattern some of his game after World Peace. It’s not like he’s going to be dunking on people, but Randle could certainly bully people with his size and strength.

It’s definitely not a bad thing to have “Ron-Ron” toughen the kid up especially after breaking his right leg in the first game of the season last year.

After all, World Peace is from Queens, New York, and he’d be the first one to let you know where he’s from in case you forgot.

It was initially thought World Peace would eventually land with a playoff team looking to bolster their bench following his buy-out, but his performance with New York was so poor nobody would touch him.

On Aug. 4, 2014, World Peace decided to play overseas and announced via Twitter he had signed with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association.

World Peace averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 steals during the 15-game stint but a recurring knee injury prevented him from playing.

After being replaced, World Peace decided to go Northwest and signed with an Italian club (Pallacanestro Cantù) on March 24, 2015.

Unfortunately, his Italian career ended with an ejection after receiving five fouls for ONE altercation in what turned out to be the team’s final playoff game that season.

Oct 21, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks small forward Metta World Peace (51) handles the ball in the second half of a game against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto won the game in triple overtime123-120. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The two sides parted ways in July after not being able to come to terms on a new contract agreement. World Peace would have had to serve a two-game suspension for the ejection had he returned the following season.

World Peace last played for the Lakers in the 2012-13 season. His four-year stint with the team wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t that memorable either. That being said, his first year with the team was unforgettable.

The organization won their second of back-to-back championships in which World Peace hit the biggest shot of his career that just so happened to take place on the biggest stage imaginable.

The Lakers were up six, 76-70, with about 1:30 left in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the rival Boston Celtics. Rasheed Wallace hit a rainbow three over a hard-charging Kobe Bryant.

With the Lakers up three and just over a minute to go, Bryant passed out of a double team and hit World Peace on the right wing. “Ron” took the famous stutter-step, that will forever be etched in Laker history, with five seconds left on the shot clock and drilled a three right between Paul Pierce‘s eyes.

The clutch bucket pushed the Lakers lead back to six and initiated the final nail in the Celtics coffin. World Peace made it a two possession game with less than a minute remaining, and the Celtics never answered.

The Lakers would go on to win the game, 83-79, and won the NBA Championship 4-3.

That wasn’t the only time World Peace hit a big shot in the 2010 NBA playoffs. He also saved Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers were up three with less than 10 seconds in the game, and the clock was ticking away. Jason Richardson hit an absolute bomb after he had just missed a three a couple of seconds before which created the long rebound in the first place.

Following a timeout, Bryant got the inbound with 3.5 seconds left and heaved a double-clutch miracle. The ball fell short, but “Ron” never gave up on the play. He got inside position in the paint, gathered the ball, and threw it up off of the backboard as time expired.

The Lakers won Game 5, 103-101, and took a 3-2 series lead. They would go on to win the series in six games. It’s possible the Lakers lose if they had gone to overtime. Anything could have happened. They might have been down 2-3 heading back to Phoenix.

Thankfully, it didn’t.

Without “Ron Artest,” the Lakers could have never gotten their shot at revenge against the Celtics for the embarrassment that was the 2008 NBA Finals.

The team may not have gotten the same player they expected to when they stole World Peace away from the Houston Rockets, but they certainly got a guy who created a lot of memories and left a lasting impression on Laker fans.

“Ron” still brought that intensity he was so famous for when Bryant and him got into it on more than a couple of occasions the previous year in which World Peace’s former team, the Rockets, lost a seven-game series to the eventual NBA champions.

It’s doubtful World Peace has much left in the tank, but maybe a return wouldn’t be such a bad thing. It’s not going to be easy to make a team that already has 13 roster spots accounted for, but perhaps he can pass some of that magic onto the younger players.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/2/2015.

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