Metta World Peace said he would be coming home to play for the New York Knicks, just days after the veteran forward was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Knicks said a contract had not been signed for the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, but an agreement had been reached.
"The team is amazing, the players. I'm excited to play and hustle," World Peace said at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. World Peace, who grew up in New York City and attended university there, was waived last Thursday by the Lakers, who used the amnesty clause to create salary cap space.
The two-metre forward will still be paid the US$7.7 million that was owed to him by the Lakers.
"It has nothing to do with New York, the city," World Peace said. "The only thing that's important are those players who I'm going to be joining and touching that hallway with. That's all that's important right now. I don't think I'm a missing piece [to a puzzle]," I'm more honoured to be playing with these players."
Marc Cornstein, World Peace's agent, said the new deal came about pretty quickly. The Knicks expressed interest after they were allowed to reach out to the forward, who legally changed his name from Ron Artest during his tenure with the Lakers.
"He's really excited to be joining his hometown team. That's been something that's been a dream of his since growing up in Queensbridge [in Queens]," Cornstein said. "He's just thrilled to be joining the Knicks."
In 14 NBA seasons with five teams, World Peace has averaged 14.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: I'm heading to play for Knicks, says World Peace
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