Metta World Peace started his professional basketball career right after his schooling. He graduated from St. Johns University in 1999. He was the sixteenth draft pick for the Chicago Bulls in 2001. Metta was rookie of the season, averaging at 12.5 points per game and 4 rebounds. He played 125 games with the Bulls and was traded in 2002 to the Indiana Pacers.
As he played with the Pacers he reached the climax of his career. He averaged at about 20 points per game with 6 rebounds. Metta made the 2004 All Star team and won the Defenseman of the Year in 2004, also. He played with Indiana from 2002-2006. During his time with the Pacers he got into a little tiny of trouble with the league. In 2004 there was an on-court brawl between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons. It all started with a foul against Metta on the Pistons star centre, Ben Wallace, when he was putting up a shot. Ben responded in a not very professional way and shoved Metta in the chest. Metta then rested on the scores table, just kind of lying there. After, Ben through a towel at him; and a fan from the stands through a beer at him and started verbally abusing Metta. He went up to the fan and punched him in the face; which occurred into a brawl between the Pistons players and the Pacers fans. With only one minute left in the game they had to call it. The coaches and security guards eventually cleared out all the players and fans from the court and stands and moved people out. After the brawl Metta was suspended for the rest of the season, losing over one million dollars in his salary. After the brawl he played with the Pistons for two more years then was traded to the Sacramento Kings.
After being traded to the Kings he was said to have brought back the spark in Sacramento, they went on a 14-5 winning game streak. Metta got along well with his coaches and teammates. He did so much that he actually went to the Kings organization, willing to give his whole salary to them to keep their coach and one other fellow player. His little persuasion gig didn’t work too well and they were traded. Metta was also traded in the year of 2008.
Metta World Peace was traded to the Houston Rockets. Metta didn’t have the best experience with the Rockets. He didn’t get along too well with some of his teammates. They had arguments and his reputation as a dirty player followed him. I don’t think that his teammates had a lot of respect for him. He was traded the next year to the Lakers.
In 2009 Metta World Peace signed a 5 year contract for 33 million dollars. In 2010 the Lakers won the Western Conference Title and went on to the finals against the Celtics, Metta’s first finals. They took the championship, four games to three. Metta scored 20 points and sunk the winning three point basket to win. His coach later awarded him as MVP of the final game. In 2011 Metta World Peace was given the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
Metta has had a very strong career. He has won many awards and is a very recognized basketball player.
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