“It went through his heart” Metta World Peace witnessed his friend getting stabbed to death in a pickup game
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Metta World Peace
Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, was born and raised in New York. Metta has experienced a lot since he was a small boy. When he was 12 years old, he saw a player at a pickup game get stabbed to death by another man who had broken off a table leg and used it on him.
While the name Metta World Peace may not be immediately recognizable, we are all familiar with the individual who was formerly known as Ron Artest. Metta was a forward who played in the NBA for 19 seasons and during that time, he participated in a legendary brawl, played outstanding team defense, and earned more than $80 million in salaries. He played with the Rockets prior to becoming a crucial member of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2010 NBA championship squad.
There were numerous memorable heated exchanges during the 2009 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Rockets, especially between Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace. After Game 2, which was maybe even the most intense, Artest revealed a bizarre tale from his past that made the game that evening seem irrelevant.
After the game, World Peace gave an explanation for why all the altercations, taunting, and dirty play weren’t all that bad. He stated:” I understand it’s the playoffs. I remember when I used to play back home in the neighborhood, it was always games like that. I remember one time it was, one of my friends I was playing basketball with was winning the game.”
He continued: “It was so competitive, they broke the leg from the table and threw it, and it went right through his heart, and he died right on the court. So I’m accustomed to playing basketball really rough. I’m used to fighting on the court.”
Metta World Peace/ Ron Artest’s prolonged NBA stint
The Chicago Bulls selected Metta World Peace, a promising rookie, as the 16th overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. He was selected to the All-Rookie Second team in 2000 while playing for the Bulls, averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. He played with the Bulls for fewer than three seasons before being traded to the Indiana Pacers due to some problems the team was having with him.
He would establish a reputation with the Pacers as a strong defender with a little bit of temperament. However, his attitude would become a problem in 2004 when he took part in a brawl in Detroit that resulted in a ban. Artest was traded out of Indiana and ended up in Sacramento, where he played for the Kings for two and a half seasons before moving on to the Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks.
After 18 years in the NBA, World Peace retired in 2017. He was a hard hitter in his day and would have been comfortable at the modern NBA. He would undoubtedly inspire a lot of terror in the players of today with his solid defense and scoring skills.
Even though he was primarily remembered for the altercation, the forward ultimately had a successful NBA career. In addition to winning a championship with the Lakers, the 2003–04 Defensive Player of the Year award, and the 2011 Walter Kennedy Citizen Award, he had a career average of 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
Was Metta World Peace’s story accurate?
According to a 1991 article by the Associated Press, a 19-year-old Queens native was stabbed in the back while playing basketball. About 40 players and spectators got into a fight over the score, according to the report. Unfortunately, Metta’s friend Llyod Newton was stabbed and killed right there in the mob.
The killer was charged with second-degree murder, which was horrendous for World Peace to witness. Even though he had a difficult upbringing and early life, he still managed to succeed and rise to prominence in the NBA despite all of his setbacks.
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Irvin Philip
(701 Articles Published)