Metta World Peace can be loud, opinionated, dysfunctional, and even crazy sometimes, but if there's one thing he is above all, is loyal.
The Queensbridge native is fresh off re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers and as he told Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, he was ready to change his jersey number to honor former teammate Kobe Bryant and his last game as a Laker.
“I so wanted that No. 60,” World Peace said on Tuesday. “That’s all I was talking about, if I got back to the Lakers, I was changing my number to 60.”
Bryant had one of the most historic games to cap a career, dropping 60 points on the Utah Jazz at a sold out Staples Center on April 13 to close the book on a legendary 20-year run.
“I was so honored to be there,” said World Peace. “I wanted to surprise him. I was so honored to be there. But, whatever.”
World Peace, who's worn jerseys No. 15, 23, 37, 51, 91, 93, and 96 over his 16-year career, had his request denied because it was filed well after the league's deadline.
He'll have to settle for No. 37 instead, as he will turn 37 years old on Nov. 13.
“That's pretty old,” World Peace added. “That seems young, but I don't know. Actually it's not. That (expletive) is old.”
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