A funny thing happens when you peer into the mind of Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace. You get an unfiltered, honest view told in only the way World Peace could tell it.
That’s exactly what happened recently when World Peace was asked about his team’s first round foe in the San Antonio Spurs.
While Magic Johnson said the Spurs were trying to avoid the Lakers, and when many expected that the Lakers would fight for the seventh seed in their final regular season game to get that matchup, World Peace was quick to debunk those myths.
"No, no no no no no," World Peace blubbered, his head shaking and eyebrows raised. "Not when you've got (Spurs coach Gregg) Popovich – uh uh uh uh uh. He's amazing. That coach is something else. I just know he draws up plays where he could have five old ladies after they eat 14 boxes of chocolate chip cookies. He'll put them on the court, and they'll win. That's how good Popovich is."
We’ll assume that World Peace wasn’t making cracks at the Spurs’ age, and while they are far from old ladies, the Spurs are entering the playoffs with arguably their best player, Tim Duncan, just days away from turning 37. While they are limping into the playoffs with late season injuries, World Peace’s ringing endorsement of Popovich should speak volumes on the Lakers’ mindset going into Game 1 on Sunday against the Spurs and should speak to Popovich’s abilities to bring his team together at the right time.
And while Fiesta season is almost in full bloom in the Alamo City, let’s hope the pan de dulce or chocolate chip cookies stay far away from the Spurs’ lockerroom.