Before the NBA finals began, the Knicks became a topic of conversation despite not being in the final. They fired the fourth-winningest coach in franchise history, Tom Thibodeau. He led New York to back-to-back 50-win seasons that hadn’t happened since 1995. Amongst other names like Jason Kidd, Metta World Peace has thrown his name in the hat multiple times. In fact, the former player even changed his social media handle to Coach Metta. But there is a deep-rooted reason behind his wish to coach the team from the Big Apple.

Before going pro, Artest played college basketball at St. John’s from 1997 to 1999. Then, in the 1999 draft, he waited for his hometown team to draft him, but they passed on the chance. Since then, there has been some resentment, even though he briefly played for the Knicks in 2013-2014. But a few months ago, the 2004 DPOY buried the hatchet with a social media post.

“I’m so blessed. The 1999 draft is officially erased. I’m at peace, yes. I should’ve been a Knick. 1000%. Imagine that lockdown defense in the Garden … [But] as a New York City kid from 12th St. and 10th St., the 6 blocks, deep in my blood.” This was in December last year, and even though the former champion claims to be at peace, he once again spoke about the subbing in order to boost his chances for the head coach position. “I’m ready, I’m cerebral, I have a high IQ,” stated the 45-year-old.

Metta World Peace spoke to Van Lathan Jr. and Rachel Lindsay on their podcast about his coaching plans.”We’ve seen this story before, and I had to sit back and watch in 1999. If I was in the office in New York City, if somebody said, ‘Hey, listen, we’re not going to go with Meta in 1999’. I would have said, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be here, maybe take a leave of absence until I retire, and we’ll bring you back.‘” The pain in the Queens native’s voice about the draft snub is still evident.

“I’ve been trying to come to the Knicks since ’99,” Artest said on the Higher Learning podcast. “So everybody talking in the city, and I knew I’m from the city, you see what I’m saying, so I got that piece too. I’m from the city.” But is the connection from the city enough to earn him the coaching gig?

Will Metta World Peace get his dream move years after the snub?

During the draft, the team chose Frederic Weis instead, a player who never appeared in an NBA game. Sandiford-Artest’s career flourished elsewhere. He made a significant mark during his 17-season career, notably with the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers. With the latter, he even won an NBA championship in 2010. Apart from that, he has some coaching experience.

Metta World Peace was a player development coach for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League from 2017 to 2018. And another former Lakers champion is ready to endorse Artest for the head coaching position. Dwight Howard wrote, “Metta gotta my vote for coach of the Knicks 🤷🏾‍♂️.” But currently, he is not one of the favorites to land the role.

As per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the New York Knicks have reportedly expressed interest in Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd during their coaching search. But other big names like Johnnie Bryant, Michael Malone, and Jay Wright are also in the mix. The fans have already given their opinion. What do you guys think? Should Meta be given this opportunity? Is he the right man for the job? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.