Metta World Peace doesn't call in for morning legal hearing because it was too early: Report

It seems like Metta World Peace really hasn't got the hang of this whole bi-coastal thing down pat yet — and may have to pay for it.

The kooky former Knick and Laker forward, previously known as Ron Artest, was not at a hearing in Manhattan Family Court Thursday, where his ex is fighting for him to pay private high school tuition for their 13-year-old son.

His lawyer, Elisabeth Vreeburg, said that it was 7 a.m. in California and that he “wasn’t able to be in a place where he could call in” for the hearing.

The 34-year-old World Peace was not sanctioned for his absence and there is not yet a ruling on whether sleepyhead can have the case transferred to Queens, his native borough.

A lawyer for his son’s mother, Jennifer Palma, say the request is a delay tactic, an attempt for the athlete to get out of paying their son’s $38,355-per-year high school tuition at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn.

She filed a lawsuit against the basketball veteran in April, claiming he verbally agreed to pay the pricey prep school bill at the school he attended as an eighth-grader.

This guy never makes anything easy, does he?

Check out what Metta World Peace wears to bed (PHOTO)

The Knicks forward posted this photo before saying "nighty-night" in his Cookie Monster PJs.

Please come back to the NBA Ron Artest.

Goodnight pic.twitter.com/2pAv4l1Vp2
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) January 18, 2014

Metta World Peace rode subway to Madison Square Garden for first game as a Knick (Photos)

Metta World Peace rode the subway Wednesday with his childhood friends and fans from the Queensbridge Houses where he grew up to Madison Square Garden where he played his first game as a member of the New York Knicks — the team he dreamed of playing for as a kid named Ron Artest.

"This," he said before boarding the Manhattan-bound subway car, "is something I've always wanted to do."

Here's @MettaWorldPeace with a surprised subway rider on the F train. pic.twitter.com/UuBvT9G4Lb
— Jim Baumbach (@jimbaumbach) October 30, 2013

With his dream of being a Knick finally a reality after 15 years in the NBA, World Peace thought it would only be appropriate to return home to Queensbridge and take the subway to his first regular-season game at the Garden, like he had done so many times as a youngster.

Newsday was there for the 15-minute ride on the F-train:

So a little past 4:30 Wednesday afternoon, World Peace arrived with a few friends on 21st Street and 41st Avenue, an intersection that borders the Queensbridge housing projects where he grew up.

Instantly people who had been milling around the subway steps recognized him. People called out, "Hey, Ron!" — no one calls him Metta around here — and World Peace stopped to shake hands and hug about a dozen people. Someone handed him a phone to talk into.

Through the turnstile, World Peace noticed a crowd was following him, and the platform quickly started to fill. "I've got to get a seat," he said, laughing. "I can't be standing." He did have a basketball game to play in a few hours, after all.

After the train screeched to a stop at 34th Street and Herald Square, a few blocks from the Garden, the well-travelled forward knew his "dysfunctional" life had come full circle.

"This is us," World Peace said as the train stopped, and off he went, keeping it real as only MWP could.

Metta World Peace wants fans to pick new nickname

After word spread around the Internet that Metta World Peace might be changing his name again ahead of playing for the Knicks next season, the former St. John's star — where he was known as Ron Artest — took to his Twitter account to squash the idea.

“Don’t believe anyone who said I’m changing my name again,” World Peace tweeted. “I am letting fans give me a new nickname. I am not legally changing my name.”

Don't believe anyone who said I'm changing my name again. I am letting fans give me a new nick name. I am not legally changing my name.
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) July 26, 2013

World Peace also said he will be picking a nickname a fan suggests in a couple of weeks, and that fans could tell him what nickname by going to his website.

And, so far,  it sounds as if MWP likes what's what he's hearing.

I love the nicknames that's coming . Keep them coming!!!;)
— Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace) July 27, 2013

World Peace is making his return to New York this fall as a member of the Knicks after agreeing to a two-year deal — the second year a player option — shortly after being amnestied by the Lakers this month.

How about The Artest Formally Known As Peace?

Metta's dad wants son to finish career with Knicks

Ron Artest Sr. is hoping if his son, Metta World Peace, is waived today by the Los Angeles Lakers via the amnesty rule, he will attempt to finish his career with the Knicks.

Even though World Peace is seriously considering retiring instead of finishing his NBA career anywhere but L.A., Senior is hopeful his son will return to the city where he played his high school and college ball as Ron Artest.

Artest Sr. told The New York Post his son’s strong preference is to remain with the Lakers and he may decide to end his career instead of signing with the Knicks, because he does not want to uproot his kids in Los Angeles.

The Lakers intend to waive World Peace, according to reports. Subsequent reports stated no decision had been made. Kobe Bryant took to twitter Monday night, stating the club should keep World Peace and try to win a title with what they have.

If Metta World Peace becomes a free agent, his father, Ron Artest Sr., would love to see the Queens product sign with the hometown Knicks as the last stop in his NBA career.

Earlier in the day, Artest Sr. said, “He wants to stay with the Lakers for a couple of more years but if not, he wants to finish his career in New York if he can. This would be full circle.

By last night, the son was having a change of heart, feeling retirement would be best.

“I know he said he doesn’t want to play with a team like Milwaukee or Minnesota,’’ Artest Sr. said.

The Knicks are in search of a defensive small forward off the free-agent market and World Peace is intriguing to then. The Queensbridge product would seek the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum, which is basically what the Knicks have to offer. (They also have the remaining $1.7 million left of their mini mid-level.)

Artest Sr. said he still was hoping his son doesn’t retire and comes home.

“Let’s hope and pray it happens,’’ Artest Sr. said.

Knicks fans still haven't forgiven the team for passing on the former St. John's star with their first-round pick to select French center Frederic Weis in 1999. Artest/World Peace went on to a spectacular — if not somewhat controversial — career in the NBA, while the Frenchman never even set foot on Seventh Avenue.

The Lakers would save a good deal in salary and luxury tax, as World Peace is scheduled to making $7.7 million in his final season.

The Knicks and Brooklyn Nets would not get first crack at World Peace; teams under the cap would be eligible to bid on him first.

Mayor Bloomberg: Stephen Jackson didn't step on waitress, I 'pushed' him

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has forced a lot of his agenda on the citizens of New York City — third terms, bike lanes, banning trans-fat and 32-ounce drinks — and some may label him a bully.  Now, it sounds like the billionaire mayor has taken his strong-arm tactics down to his courtside seats at Madison Square Garden.

Last Thursday, after Spurs forward Stephen Jackson left the game with a sprained ankle during the Knicks 100-83 win,  believed to have happened when Jackson tripped over a waitress who was crouching next to the court serving the mayor a drink.

Not so, Bloomberg said yesterday at a press conference in the Bronx.

"He didn't fall on her, " Bloomberg revealed.  "He came close and I just pushed him a little bit."

Say what? Was the mayor channeling his inner Charles Oakley to get an assist for the Knicks?

"I wasn't helping [the Knicks]," he said of his sixth man status but added. "It would be great for New York" if both the Knicks and Nets made the playoffs.



Jackson tripped and rolled the ankle after attempting a three point shot and falling backwards. He missed the rest of the game and the next one too.

Bloomberg indicated that his "push" was just instinctive.

It isn't the first time Jackson has made headlines for a physical encounter with a fan.  It was Jackson and former St. John's star Ron Artest (now Metta World Peace) who rumbled in the stands during the infamous Malice at the Palace in 2004.


Whether or not Jackson stepped on the waitress or got boxed out by the diminutive mayor is a moot point to Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.  Pops called the incident a "mayoral mishap" but is calling on all NBA teams to keep the sidelines less cluttered during the game.

Does that mean getting rid of Spike Lee?

Ex-Knick Nate Robinson dodges gunfire at famed Rucker Park basketball court

Five people were shot Wednesday night at Harlem's famed Rucker Park where former-Knicks point guard Nate Robinson was among the throngs of people who dodged the flying bullets according to witnesses.

The gunfire broke out at about 11 p.m. at the courts on West 155th Street and Eighth Avenue at the annual Entertainers Basketball Classic— which features many NBA stars and local legends competing side-by-side every year.  Last summer, Kevin Durant showed up and wowed the crowds by scoring 66 points; while Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Ron Artest are some of the big names who have graced the court over the tournament's 29 year history.

Robinson— who was there as a spectator— had to scramble for cover once the chaos ensued but escaped unscathed witnesses said.

'He [Robinson] was watching the game," said the spectator.  "After the shooting, he was okay.  He wasn't hurt... he left like everyone else."

"They started arguing about a bad call or something like that," said the witness.  "The guy was standing no more than five feet away from me.  He pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot once.  He then shot one more time.  Everyone started running."

Other people said the gunman then calmly walked across the street and fired a few more rounds.

The five shooting victims were taken to local hospitals and all are expected to survive.


It's too bad when shooting hoops takes on a whole new meaning.

"Metta World Peace" to Lakers: "You Can Still Call Me Ron"

He might have legally changed his name to Metta World Peace, but the Los Angeles Lakers forward told his teammates he will still answer to the name of Ron.

The former-Ron Artest said, "I really don't have a preference" about what you call him at a Lakers shootaround.

He even smiled when someone called him "Queensbridge" at a press conference yesterday.

If you aren't from New York City, the Queensbridge projects are the former- St. John's basketball star's old stomping grounds and some of the toughest streets in the city.

World Peace was very busy during the NBA lockout auctioning off his championship ring for 500+K and donating the proceeds to mental health organizations, PETA and children's charities.

At a recent Lakers' game against the Utah Jazz, fans at the Staples Center chanted, "We Want World Peace" while the former-Ron Artest sat on the bench.

That seemed to be music to the New Yorker's ears.

"I think I accomplished a lot already," he said.  "Changing lives."

People in the media are still getting used to the revised name and even his new coach Mike Brown admitted it's not in the Lakers' vocabulary yet.

"I try to call him Metta more than anyone else," the coach said.  "And then you hear Steve Blake say, 'Hey Ron' or Kobe say 'Hey Ron-Ron' and it throws me off.  I'm trying, but no one's helping me."

It's doesn't matter what he is calling himself these days because when the former-Redmen star steps onto the streets of New York, he's still Ron Artest from Queens.

Ron Artest Bringing Comedy Act To New York City

Ron Artest is preparing to take us into his wacky world of weirdness and whimsy by bringing "Ron Artest - The Ultimate Comedy Tour" to New York City this summer.  The Los Angeles Lakers small-forward will host four comedy shows at Caroline's on Broadway on July 15 and 16.

Right after getting swept by the Dallas Mavericks, it seems only natural for Artest, the Queens, NY native and the NBA's reigning class clown, to come home and try his hand at making people laugh with him and not at him.

After all,  his embarrassing play in the second-round playoff was pretty comical.  Taking a cue from that other L.A. funny man Charlie Sheen, the well-traveled basketball star might now want to call his show "Losing."

The 31 year-old Artest could even take the show on the road.  Lord knows he's already made controversial stops with the Bulls, Pacers, Kings and Rockets.  What's another Laugh Factory in Toronto? Detroit would be a blast.  Just imagine the heckling when he reminds Piston fans about the 'Brawl in the Palace.'

The out-spoken former-St. John's star is no stranger to the spotlight or making us laugh--mostly unintentionally.  Here's a sampling of his off-the-backboard humor.

When he joined the Lakers, Artest took '37' for his jersey number as a tribute to Michael Jackson whose "Thriller" album was "#1 on 'Billboard' for 37 weeks."  Cerebral stuff.   Reminds me of Steven Wright.

Then there was the one about thanking his shrink on national TV, right after the Lakers won the NBA Championship last year.  Richard Lewis anyone?

If Artest doesn't tickle your funny bone, he may break it.  Just ask the Mavericks little J.J. Barea how a Ron Artest punchline--I mean clothesline--feels.

With his Queensbridge Projects upbringing, Artest's comedy-stylings might be a little bit more rough around the edges than edgy.  It's an acquired taste.  Like Carrot Top on steroids.

The small forward's comedy goddesses will include local morning radio DJ's and pals according to the New York Daily News.  No porn stars or hookers in this extravaganza--just a laff-riot.   Hey, here's one.  What do the Lakers and a Japanese steak house have in common?  They both have aged Kobe.  Pure gold, Jerry, pure gold.

We can only hope that Artest starts rapping during the show.  Now, that would be really hilarious.

Where's Shaq when you need him?  No, Really.  Where is he?

Subway Serious

By Tony Mangia

Yanks Need To Pick It Up Against Real Teams

The New York Yankees are tied for first place in the AL East and fans are still feeling uneasy. Less than three weeks ago, the Tampa Bay Rays led the Yankees by six games and looked invincible, while Boston looked ready to rebuild. Yankee fans were ready to settle for the wild card on a silver platter. The recent surge by the Yankees can be attributed to an unbelievably weak stretch of teams on the schedule and the mediocre play of the Rays. The Pinstripers had feasted on patsies like the Indians, Orioles and the hapless Astros. Don't let the 20-5 dominance against these sub .500 teams fool you. The Yankees are only 21-20 against above average ball clubs.

Even the slumping--and low-scoring-- Phillies managed to look like the NL Champions of last year with their pitching quieting the Yankee's bats in two wins this week in the Bronx. Now the streaking Mets come to Yankee Stadium. The Mets took 2 of 3 from the Yankees at Citi Field two weeks ago and have won 7 in a row on the road. Manager Jerry Manuel finally has job security and the team has a little swagger to boot. The Yankees may have overlooked the then-staggering Queens team a fortnight ago, but now have the full attention of their cross-town rivals. The Flushing nine have been beating on the same lowly teams as the Yanks, but some Mets have publicly attributed their current 18-6 tear to beating the Yankees in that last series as an inspiration.

The AL East is slowly kneading into shape. The Boston Red Sox are only two games out while the Toronto Blue Jays have started their annual migration south. It's still amazing to see Cito Gaston in the Jays dugout. How long would he have lasted anywhere else? There is still 100 games to go, but expect this division to produce the AL wild card.

Things that should concern the Yankees include the groin injury to A-Rod and the nagging sore right foot that is bothering Jorge Posada (Mr. Grand Slam) again. Both continue to play musical chairs in the DH position. Other quagmires are the inconsistency of Joba Chamberlain to get an out and the lack of a set-up man. Joba's been pulled more times than a pork sandwich and nobody else is picking up the slack. Reliever, Alfredo Aceves is still on the mend, but there is no return date.

Tonight's pitching match-up could be the key to the series. Javier Vasquez (6-5) has been throwing well in his last few outings and we all know how good he is against NL teams, but Hisanori Takahashi (5-2) has been a capable fourth man for the Mets. It's hard to believe that the marquee match-up isn't between C.C. Sabathia and Johan Santana on Sunday, instead the main event will be Phil Hughes (9-1) against Mike Pelfrey (9-1) on Saturday afternoon. Both of these pitchers are in the top three in their respective leagues.

THE A-TEAM

Nice to see former-St. John's basketball star, Ron Artest, take a sip of champagne as a member of the 2010 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. Artest's up and down play up until game seven had me rolling my eyes, but he made up for all those errant three-point bricks by scoring 20, hustling for 5 steals, and hitting the most important trey with 1:01 left in the clinching game. The much-maligned (usually deservedly so) enforcer from the Queensbridge Projects has come a long way and proven his heart is as big as his body. As much as I dislike the Lakers, it was worth the victory just to hear Artest thank his psychiatrist afterwards.

THEY'RE BETTER THAN LISTENING TO JOE MORGAN AND JOHN MILLER

It was only a matter of time before the World Cup's vuvuzelas made it to our shores. The other night a fan was thrown out of Yankee Stadium for smuggling in one of the annoying horns and hitting someone with it. What cracks me up is that the man said he smuggled it through the gates by hiding the three-foot instrument in his shorts. I guess none of the security guards wanted to pat down that leg.

A KO FOR BOXING?

New York State is using its fiscal problems to push for legalization of Mixed Martial Arts in New York state. Supporters say it will bring $2 million in taxes to the state and cited 44 other states who have sanctioned it. I support the sport, but hope that boxing doesn't let the popular and ever-growing MMA upstage and overshadow it.