At the end of last year’s preseason Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton and the front office had a tough decision to make, as they cut former second round pick Anthony Brown to award the last roster spot to veteran Metta World Peace, who won a championship with the Lakers in 2010.
At 37 years of age the 17-year NBA veteran did not make a big impact for the Lakers on the court, although there were some times that Walton put him in the game to bring defensive toughness.
But World Peace’s reason for being on the team was to be a mentor for the team’s young nucleus and bring veteran leadership, which he did perhaps better than anyone else in the league.
World Peace was recently awarded for his contributions last season, as the National Basketball Players Association named him the 2017 Lakers Teammate of the Year:
WEST
The teammates with the biggest impact on and off the court. Check out the #PlayersVoice Award winners for Best Teammate. pic.twitter.com/AqcrEI1l6P
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) August 18, 2017
While World Peace’s career with the Lakers seems to be over, as he tweeted out a thank you to everyone in the Lakers organization after last season ended, he has said that he would like to continue playing as he wants to get to 20 career seasons.
World Peace has also said that he would likely to pursue a career in coaching once his playing days are over, and after the leadership and mentorship that he displayed the last couple seasons with the Lakers it seems to be the perfect route for him once he decides to hang up his shoes for good.