Metta World Peace campaigns for Team USA role at Olympics

Metta World Peace last played in the NBA in 2017. That hasn’t stopped him from wanting to someday be an Olympian by any means necessary.

In an appearance on “The Sheridan Show” podcast with Chris Sheridan, World Peace vented about his exclusion from the 2004 men’s basketball team that won Bronze in Athens. World Peace asserted that the team would have won Gold had it selected him, claiming that he was the “best defender in the world” at that point of his career.

Not only that, but World Peace made clear that he still wants to play in the Olympics. Failing that, he even volunteered to serve as water boy. How serious is he? He says he had his agent call USA Basketball about it.

“One day, I hope they pick me,” World Peace said. “Sometimes they pick veterans, they pick guys who don’t play [anymore]. I hope I can play in the Olympics; I deserve it just as much as anybody, I believe. Some people would argue that other people deserve it also. That’s true, but I am the one yapping about it.

“So hopefully one day an honorary jersey, end of the bench. I even told them I would get the water. I literally called the office. I told my agent, ‘Can I even be the water boy? Something?’ So every time someone brings up the Olympians, I rant, I rant I rant. I am an Olympian, for sure. I am an Olympian, a gold medalist, and I truly believe that.”

World Peace has a lot of ambitions, that much is clear. For now, few of them are likely to come true. His strategy is certainly unique, though. If he keeps talking about everything he’s interested in doing, maybe lightning will strike and he’ll get the opportunity. It’s just not likely to happen here.