5 Reasons Lakers Fans Love Metta World Peace

September 28, 2015; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace speaks to the press during media day at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Although some were questioning why the Lakers front office would bring Metta World Peace back into the fold, there are an abundance of reasons why Lakers fans love him. World Peace is a character with lots of layers but as each is pulled back they reveal another more interesting facet of his personality and what makes him who he is.

Some would say he is like a chameleon, ever changing, you never know what you’re going to get. These days, though, World Peace is more serious than years past. The man formerly known as Ron Artest wants to make a difference on this season’s Lakers team and wants to prove himself once again.

Though he was probably brought in mostly to be a mentor to Julius Randle this season, he has proved to the coaching staff that he can still play hopefully paving the way for a spot on the final roster. Even if you just look at how he has mentored Randle, that alone should be a reason to keep him, Randle is on fire!

Put aside his name changes and other antics, peel away a few layers, and you have a die hard Laker, who loves the game of basketball.

Let’s take a look at five reasons why Lakers fans love MWP.

Next: No. 5 - He Wants World Peace

Dec 10, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson and small forward Metta World Peace (51) during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 109-94. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

No. 5 – He Wants World Peace

When former Ron Artest decided to change his name, he selected a spiritually beautiful name as his first name: Metta. According to the Urban Dictionary, Metta is “a sincere wish for the welfare and genuine happiness of all beings, without exception.” He then chose a middle and last name that represents something one would think almost every human being wants, save dictators and warmongers: World Peace.

World Peace is socially conscious. Whether the cause is mental health, the environment, panda species preservation, staying fit and healthy or wanting world peace, he is all-in. Just check out his website blog.mettaworldpeace.com to get an idea of all that World Peace is.

He’s also keenly aware that changing the world starts with children; he has four himself. That’s why he’s written children’s books and promoted them on political shows on social issues.

Commenting on his name change in an interview on The O’Reilly Factor, World Peace attempted to explain his persona.

"I feel I continue to evolve, I continue to connect to people, to the earth, to different things, everything . . . I’m just evolving as a person, and I wanted my name to evolve . . . I just wanted to change it"

Though Bill O’Reilly seemed to be poking fun at World Peace, and you could hear in his voice that he thought the name change was silly, he was quickly brought to knowledge. World Peace calmly explained that he doesn’t judge people, he just wants to come up with preventions and solutions.

Next: No. 4 - He Never Gives Up!

Oct 8, 2015; Ontario, CA, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Bismack Biyombo (8) hangs on to the ball in between Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) and forward Metta World Peace (37) in the fourth quarter of the game at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Raptors won 105-97. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4 – He Never Gives Up!

Even though MWP had a tough road to success from Queensbridge, New York to the star filled street of Los Angeles, he never gave up.

He lost his temper in that infamous Indiana Pacers brawl that got him suspended for an entire season. Most would never talk about again, but not World Peace. He answers questions about it and has made peace with the fans and everyone involved. He never gave up.

He has played on six different teams over the last 15 years. He never gave up.

He lost his job in the NBA with the Knicks after being injured and went to play overseas in China. He never gave up.

Due to his persistence, now, he is back in the NBA and is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hustle and grit have always defined World peace, just look at what he’s accomplished in his NBA career statwise:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/13/2015.

Next: No. 3 - What You See Is What You Get

No. 3 – What You See Is What You Get

This man says what is on his mind, does what he wants to do, and what you see is what you get. Just this past week, he called all the players in the NBA “soft.”

Now who does that? After all the ridicule he had endured around the league and the lack of support he received when he wanted to return and play in the NBA, who could blame him?

There’s no sugar coating what he says, and there is a lot of truth in the ‘soft’ comments gathered by Kurt Helin of NBC Sports who doesn’t agree with World Peace.

"“I remember I came into the NBA in 1999, the game was a little bit more rough. The game now is more for kids. It’s not really a man’s game anymore,” World Peace said. “The parents are really protective of their children. They cry to their AAU coaches. They cry to the refs, ‘That’s a foul. That’s a foul.’ “Sometimes I wish those parents would just stay home, don’t come to the game, and now translated, these same AAU kids whose parents came to the game, ‘That’s a foul.’ These kids are in the NBA. So now we have a problem. You’ve got a bunch of babies professionally around the world.” “It’s no longer a man’s game,” he said. “It’s a baby’s game. There’s softies everywhere. Everybody’s soft. Nobody’s hard no more. So, you just deal with it, you adjust and that’s it.”"

One thing he’s known for is his style of play, the type that gets a player technical fouls, ejected, and suspended in today’s NBA.

Jun 7, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Former basketball player Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) during the second quarter in game two of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 95-93. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

And while he is a beast on the court, he is a sweetheart off the court. I know from personal experience.

One day at work, I found out Metta was in the lobby of my building, I went nuts. Since my office had a huge window to the lobby, I ran to the window waved my arms wildly to get his attention.

His friend poked his shoulder and pointed up to me, I motioned a heart pumping with my fingers, and blew him kisses, acting like a fool.

You would think he would just wave, right? Nope! He blew kisses back to me, he formed a heart with his fingers and sent it up to me spreading world peace.

Metta World Peace is not hiding anything; fans know he has a therapist, fans know why he has a therapist, fans know what he is thinking, and fans see what he is feeling in his facial expressions and body language. He shows the world they don’t have to be afraid to be yourself, which is a rare, admirable trait these days.

Most folks hide their real self and feel the need to fit in, some jobs even dictate that you fit into their mold of who they want you to be and how they want you to act.

That said, this year, World Peace has to mold a little to keep his job and now we know that molding will not include holding back his opinions on the game of basketball, at least.

Next: No. 2 - He Enjoys the Game of Basketball

April 26, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace (15) controls the ball against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2 – He Enjoys the Game of Basketball

Self-proclaimed as one of the best small forwards in the league, World Peace, signed a one-year non-guaranteed deal worth $1.5 million at the ripe old age of 35. Though there were plenty of doubters, it seems he has silenced both critics and Lakers announcers alike with his demeanor, interviews and mostly in his tenacity playing the game of basketball.

The Lakers played the Utah Jazz in Hawaii a week ago, and the game was lackluster until World Peace entered the game. He was directing his team on defense, he was pushing the offense, and he just willed the team to perform.

His performance that night made a huge difference to the team, and announcers were singing his praises. Funny how that happens. Fans who always believed in World Peace could sit back and feel victorious that their support was warranted and could now say, ‘I told you so!’

MWP is one of a few NBA players still willing to play with Kobe Bryant. World Peace has a ton of respect for Bryant, not only because they’re friends, but more likely because they share the same drive to practice, win and compete.

Mark Medina interviewed World Peace and found out what has helped drive him to work hard to get back into the NBA.

"“Kobe is the main reason why I worked so hard in the last couple of years,” World Peace said after posting seven points on 2-of-5 shooting, four rebounds, four turnovers and two assists in 21 minutes in the Lakers’ 117-114 overtime loss to Utah on Tuesday at Stan Sheriff Center. “I always wanted to come back and play with Kobe. I remember playing with Kobe, the sacrifices he made, playing hard, making unbelievable shots and showing unbelievable fundamentals. People can say he’s selfish all they want. But in the game, he’s so fundamentally sound. That’s tough to be fundamentally sound under all that pressure.”"

Metta and Kobe were once rivals when the former was a Houston Rocket. Now they are teammates again, teammates who have won an NBA Championship together.

Not having World Peace on the team was hard for quite a few Lakers fans. Seeing him in a Knicks jersey was almost heart-breaking. Many believe he had a lot of basketball left in him, but he had some knee issues, and he needed to heal and come back to form.

He seems to have done just that. He cannot stay away from the game, he puts it all out there on the court, he’s a veteran who plays like he just got into the league.

Next: No. 1 - He Is Multi-Talented

September 28, 2015; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace speaks to press during media day at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1 – He Is Multi-Talented 

What hasn’t World Peace tried? Lakers fans should envy him, he goes out into the world and does things no one would ever think he would do or try, and he does it with no regrets.

It’s not hard to see where his passions lie when it comes to causes, all you have to do is read the titles of his children’s books; he has written and published six.

Though pegged as an enforcer on the court, World Peace has proven to be quite the pacifist off court. In his interview with Bill O’Reilly he shared tremendous insight when explaining his book “Metta: Let’s Meet the Police.”

"If someone is a gang member, they weren’t born a gang member. . . It’s written for children. The message is you don’t want to start racial wars, you want to have solutions, you want to have prevention tactics and things like that, and you also want to address issues, you don’t want to push it under the rug. It’s written for children absolutely. You don’t want children to grow up hating the police, hating another race, blacks hating whites, whites hating blacks. That’s why my book is very diverse"

He went to China with an idea to be called ‘The Panda’s Friend,’ though he never actually changed his name, he did come back from China with a great idea for a clothing line.

But he may have missed on the Panda shoes.

The official branding of the Panda’s Friend taken from his website states, “The Panda represents friendship, peace, balance, and abundance. These magnificent symbols portray what being The Panda’s Friend means.”

What else has World Peace ventured out and accomplished? Recording rap music. Check.

Let’s face it, the Lakers fans who already love Metta World Peace, love him more now than ever and those who didn’t should definitely reconsider!

Next: Why Anthony Brown Should Start for the Lakers