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“You don’t respect the game” – Metta World Peace believed the Malice at the Palace had cursed his career
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- “You don’t respect the game” – Metta World Peace believed the Malice at the Palace had cursed his career
It seemed that at one point in Metta World Peace 's career, he was going to retire with nothing but the Malice at the Palace as the defining part of his legacy. Many hardcore fans regard him as one of the greatest defenders in the league, but many casual fans know him as one of the league's most controversial individuals.
This label followed him throughout his early career, and his and his team's struggles didn't help either. It came to a point where even World Peace himself believed that the basketball gods had always cursed him and his team's chances of capturing the ring he had yearned for in his career.
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"When the brawl happened, I thought that the basketball gods would say, 'You don't respect the game,' so I haven't been to the playoffs. I'm missing the playoffs with the Sacramento Kings, and in my mind, I deserve to be there, to win the Finals," World Peace shared .
Paying for his mistakes
It wasn't as if World Peace wasn't already paying for his part in the NBA's most infamous brawl. He already served the longest suspension in league history in 2005, which severely hampered the otherwise talented Indiana Pacers' title chances that season.
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Not to mention his mental health issues that worsened after the incident. He was ultimately trying to be a better version of himself. Still, after a move to the Sacramento Kings, World Peace's career began drifting away from the championship level he wanted to reach, and he was stuck in mediocrity.
Despite this, he continued to work not only on his mental health but also on his game on the hardcourt. He was still a guy who could defend the league's best players and score reliably. It would only be a matter of time, he thought, before the basketball gods would see his repentance and finally allow him to play on a contender.
"I knew when I was in my prime, I was pretty good. So I knew, like in my prime, I'm going to get to the finals somehow," he stated. "I'm locking damn near everybody up but LeBron and Kobe and the exception of Trace and Rip Hamilton."
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In 2009, World Peace was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he would get his first legitimate taste of being on a contender alongside Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. They made the postseason but eventually fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
Whether it was World Peace finally being forgiven or simply a testament to his undeniable talent, he was offered a contract by the Lakers in free agency after feeling lost and almost deciding to leave the league and go to Greece .
World Peace himself previously said he was stunned when the Lakers offered him a chance. Nevertheless, he took a pay cut and limited role because he finally had the opportunity to win a ring with Kobe Bryant and under legendary head coach Phil Jackson
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The Lakers returned to the Finals and faced their arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics. World Peace had finally reached the moment he had been waiting for, but he and the Lakers still had to finish the job.
A title-winning 3-pointer
In that series, the former Defensive Player of the Year would be a crucial piece for the Lakers, even scoring 15 points in Game 6 to help the team keep the series alive.
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Then, in Game 7, World Peace found the answer to whether the basketball gods forgave him for Malice or not.
After a back-and-forth battle, the championship hung in the balance as the game entered the final minutes of the fourth quarter. With a minute left and LA clinging to a 76-73 lead, Bryant, who everyone believes would take a shot, was shown a double team. Instead of forcing a shot, he passed the ball to World Peace, who knocked down a three-pointer. The shot was eventually enough to take down the Celtics as the Lakers captured their second straight championship.
Perhaps the basketball gods had a hand in it, but there was no denying that World Peace had earned his moment. He persevered, continued to work on his game and earned Bryant's trust to make the biggest play on the biggest stage. After years of penitence, he also never lost his belief that he was destined to win a championship.
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"I felt like not only did I deserve it, but I felt like, man, finally. I felt grateful, like job is done," he said. "I wasn't necessarily focused on number two. I always wanted the championship and the MVP, MVP, you get a small opportunity for that. I messed that up."
"It just made me think about my career, and it just like put a bow on everything," added World Peace.
Even after winning, World Peace never stopped improving. The memories of Malice would still follow him, but he always kept looking ahead. He became an advocate for peace, as highlighted by his famous name change , even after his retirement in 2017.
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Nowadays, fans will still remember him as the one who started the most infamous brawl in sports history, but there is an added caveat: he was the player who sealed the Lakers' title in 2010.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
