A 43-year-old NBA Champion recently revealed his one regret, from his NBA career. Throughout his basketball journey, he always had a dream of playing for the team from his hometown, which has a value of $6.1 billion.
In the world of the NBA, this former Laker gained a reputation for being quite a character. Some people found him humorous, while others considered him a bit eccentric. However, there was agreement that he was unpredictable. Despite earning a handsome salary, he recently shared in an interview with “The Hoop Chat” that he still wishes he could play for his dream team.
Metta World Peace Born to be a Knick
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Metta World Peace has shown his desire to play for the New York Knicks in the team’s prime time. He’s always destined to influence metropolitan basketball and had a strong connection to New York. He was born in Queens and attended La Salle Academy in Manhattan before representing both boroughs with Red Storm.
Playing for St. John’s led him all the way to an Elite Eight round run in 1999’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament; afterward, he declared for NBA Draft and finished his inexperienced year.
After joining the Knicks in 2013-14, World Peace had passed his prime with moderate numbers?just 4.8 points.?The infamous “Malice in the Palace,” a notorious brawl, marked his time with the Pacers.?World Peace became the first NBA player to be fined in a trade request, with a suspension of 86 games taking place.
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Had World Peace been in his prime while playing for New York, they might have benefited from his defensive abilities.?From 2002 to 2011, the Knicks dropped out of their game because of their disability to win a playoff series and consistently being ranked below average in defensive rating.
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World Peace’s Reflection on a Tumultuous Past
As World Peace retired from the NBA, years later, he pondered over that turbulent part of his life, realizing he played a role all along.?He joined Los Angeles Lakers with Kobe Bryant between 2009 to 2013 and continued in 2015 and 2017, contributing as a support player, featuring another All-Defensive Team nomination and an NBA title.
In a conversation with Emily Austin on her show “The Hoop Chat,” World Peace, who came back to New York in 2013, admitted that he was not at the level of his former self, known as Prime Metta, any longer.?At 34 years old, he had career lows in points and rebounds during a disappointing season for the Knicks.?World Peace had a year playing in China after the team bought his contract out, and he ended his career with two more seasons with the Lakers.
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As Metta World Peace reflects on his NBA journey, he cannot help but feel the pain of never representing his home team, the New York Knicks, at their peak.?It shows that even after the final buzzer, the connection between athletes and their dreams remains.