At this point everyone is familiar with the elbow that concussed James Harden and sent Metta World Peace to the bench for seven games. Now, as fate would have it, the two players will face each other in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
When asked about the upcoming series with the Thunder, World Peace had some choice words about how he plans on dealing with Harden.
“I don’t shake substitutes’ hands,” World Peace told Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles.
Oh, boy.
World Peace has never been one to bite his tongue, and this latest quote is clear evidence of that. After the incident, World Peace did issue an apology via statement, but it’s evident now he’s more concerned with defeating the Thunder and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
“My concern is executing the coaches’ game plan and that’s what my concern is,” said World Peace.
It’s certainly a good sign that he’s focused on basketball and not the stories surrounding the series. There’s no doubt he made an enormous impact in his return to the floor in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets. He hit four three-point shots and played tenacious defense throughout the contest.
He will be looking to have the same impact when the team begins their series with Oklahoma City on Monday.