World Peace joining high school staff

ESPN logo
Friday, June 13, 2014

Metta World Peace has spent time in recent years with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, and now the NBA free agent is adding another stop to his résumé: Palisades High.

World Peace will be an assistant coach for the girls' basketball team, according to Palisades coach Torino Johnson. Johnson met World Peace after coaching his daughter in the program four years ago.

"He'll be heavily involved in our program," Johnson said, according to the Orange County Register. "We keep having, it's an ongoing dialogue, but it's all positive. There's no out. The only purpose for this is to be positive and to be impactful -- and this is of his choosing."

World Peace, 34, played in 29 games for the Knicks last season after playing for the Lakers from 2009-13, including winning a title in 2010.

Palisades went 21-12 in 2013-14. The team won the L.A. City Section Division 2 title in 2012.

"No one else that I know of in high school basketball has this opportunity, where they have a current NBA veteran on their coaching staff who can divulge that expertise," Johnson told the Register. "It's kind of all hands on deck for us, and we're very fortunate and excited about him wanting to be a presence in our program."

World Peace was not available for comment.

Related Video