Metta World Peace is China having a blast, but he revealed some startling information that may explain why he’s no longer with the New York Knicks.
World Peace is writing a book to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Malice at the Palace, and while describing a few excerpts, the mercurial forward hinted at why he wasn’t re-signed by the Knicks.
“I’m too direct,’’ said World Peace, who will return from China in March and may try to sign with a contender. He highlighted an incident with J.R. Smith that may have sealed his fate.
“I don’t understand why they didn’t [sign] me,’’ World Peace said. “But then again, I’m very direct. I think I was too direct in the locker room, too direct to J.R. Smith. It wasn’t from a bad place. I’m older, been on great teams in Sacramento and L.A.
“If someone is not playing defense or not giving effort, that’s my specialty. I don’t hold back on my words. Nobody wants to talk direct to them. We don’t give it to them straight.
“I said some things directly to J.R. Smith in the locker room and he challenged me back, said some direct things to me. But he understood where we came from.”