During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Metta World Peace became a fan favorite mainly because of his offbeat character off the court. His time with the team came to an end when the Lakers used their amnesty provision on World Peace prior to the 2013-14 season.
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After being bought out by the New York Knicks, World Peace couldn’t find another NBA stint and decided to play for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Sichuan Blue Whales. While playing in China, he announced he would go by the name, The Panda’s Friend. Furthermore, World Peace revealed the shoes he will wear overseas will come with a stuffed panda companion, according to his Instagram:
While initially believed to be removable, World Peace took to his Twitter to say the panda is meant to stay attached to the shoes:
The bear is not detachable. The Teddy bear is a permanent and is the pandas friend!
The ears on the side are also not detachable.
Enjoy
— mettaworldpeace.com (@MettaWorldPeace) September 22, 2014
The shoe will be available in both white and black and should be available on World Peace’s website Tuesday.
World Peace joins Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Gilbert Arenas, and Tracy McGrady as notable former NBA All-Stars to have playing in the CBA after their NBA career.
As for the team World Peace joins, the Blue Whales enter their second season in the CBA and will be hoping World Peace could help them make playoffs after finishing 12th in their inaugural season.
During his short time with the Knicks, World Peace averaged career lows while only appearing in 29 games as he battled knee issues prior to his termination. His NBA career may be over, but World Peace remains an interesting individual to monitor overseas.
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