When you change your name to Metta World Peace, you give up your right to be taken seriously. Just like Chad OchoCinco before him, your name becomes a big joke. But you can rise above the derision if you get people talking about you in a positive light instead of the little sideshow you have going on. For example, get everyone talking about how well you’re playing or the great contributions you make to your team. OchoCinco couldn’t do it, World Peace just furthered the joke by going on Dancing With the Stars.
Another way to make yourself the brunt of a joke? Make bold statements about your abilities, like Metta did about guarding LeBron James after the Lakers win over the Heat.
“I’m going to answer this as honest as I can, I’m one of the best defensive players ever. I’m one of the best defensive players to ever play on the wing.” Artest said. “I think that’s the answer. Sometimes media hides away from that fact. [I’m one of the best] especially in the last decade.”
Metta World Peace (or Ron Artest, as he was known back then) won a defensive player of the year award in 2004. He’s made the NBA All-Defensive team four times, most recently in 2009. He did a great job of containing LeBron on Sunday, and he’s played some very solid defense all year.
But let’s slow down a little bit.
While I am impressed that World Peace can still be the lockdown defender for the Lakers, I’m not going to call him one of the greatest of all time. He’s definitely a good defender, he would have to be since he starts for the Lakers when he’s a liability on the offensive end. He probably wouldn’t even be in the NBA anymore if he couldn’t play defense as well as he does.
This is just another case of MWP’s big head. He wants the attention and loves those bold statements that get the media talking about him. He may actually think he is one of the greatest defenders of all time, but I doubt he could get anyone to agree with him.
