Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been busy since retiring over the offseason. The 17-year NBA veteran recently joined the Lakers G League affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers, as a player development coach for the upcoming season.
Despite joining the coaching ranks however, World Peace’s playing days aren’t quite done just yet as he told TMZ that he already has plans for next summer as well (via TMZ):
“I’m playing in the Big 3,” World Peace said.
World Peace is the latest big name to join the Big 3, Ice Cube’s three-on-three basketball league that barnstorms various cities over the NBA offseason.
The league recently announced that it would be adding another co-captain roster spot to each team, allowing for more high-profile players to join on, as well as announcing which players have already re-signed with the league following its inaugural season via the Big 3’s website:
Fresh off of a successful first season, the BIG3 announced that the league has already reached two-year agreements with 18 players and coaches from the inaugural season. The league tendered offers to all of its first year Player Captains, Co-captains and Coaches, giving them the opportunity to re-sign before engaging new talent – a process which will get underway shortly.
Among the roster of returning players and coaches are 2017 BIG3 MVP Rashard Lewis, 2017 BIG3 Champions Trilogy’s Kenyon Martin, Al Harrington and coach Rick Mahorn, Corey Maggette, Chauncey Billups, Clyde Drexler, Gary Payton, Brian Scalabrine, Stephen Jackson, DerMarr Johnson, Ricky Davis, Josh Childress, Cuttino Mobley, Jerome “Junk Yard Dog” Williams, Bonzi Wells, George “The Iceman” Gervin, and Rick Barry.
World Peace will now join those names, and after only just finishing his NBA career, he’s already one of the more qualified players to join the burgeoning basketball league.
It will also be interesting to see if World Peace is able to recruit any of his former Lakers teammates to join him when the league begins play again next summer.