Nancy Lieberman’s first year coaching in the BIG3 league gave her an unexpected introduction to Metta World Peace. What began as an ordinary moment in the locker room turned into an awkward encounter after the former NBA player was ejected from a game almost as soon as it started. Years later, Lieberman recalled the incident on the All The Smoke podcast, with World Peace present, explaining how his early exit led to an interaction she has never forgotten.
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Lieberman began the story by reminding World Peace about their time in the BIG3 league and his stint with the Killer 3’s. She explained that the teams used to share locker-room space while games were taking place. On this particular occasion, World Peace’s team had gone out to play, while Lieberman entered the locker room with her own players.
Her team members put away their belongings before heading out to watch the first game. Lieberman stayed behind to change into what she called her “power shirt.” She was alone in the locker room when something unexpected happened.
“And all of a sudden, Metta walks out of the shower naked,” Lieberman recalled.
World Peace was holding a towel when he greeted her casually with, “Hey, Coach.” The unexpected sight caught Lieberman off guard, and she wondered why he had returned to the locker room so early. As she explained in a video shared by All The Smoke on X, the reason went back to an incident on the court.
Metta World Peace’s Early Ejection Created an Awkward Situation
According to Lieberman’s account, World Peace had kicked the basketball into the stands within the first minute or two and was ejected from the game. His early departure meant he was back in the locker room while Lieberman was preparing to get changed.
World Peace acknowledged the incident during their conversation, confirming that he had grabbed the ball and kicked it into the stands. The situation left Lieberman trying to navigate an unexpected encounter with a player who had barely begun his game.
Rather than immediately confronting him about the ejection, Lieberman tried to make small talk. She recalled mentioning that World Peace’s father had emailed her recently and asking why he was no longer playing. She also asked whether everything was going well with his family.
However, the conversation was difficult to continue while World Peace was still standing there without putting on his towel. Lieberman eventually decided to address the situation directly.
“And I said, ‘Could you put your towel on? Would you do me a favor?’” she recalled.
World Peace apparently continued talking, prompting Lieberman to repeat her request. She remembered saying, “Metta, the towel, little ADD, the towel.”
The exchange captures the awkwardness Lieberman described. She was trying to get dressed while also attempting to make sense of why World Peace had returned to the locker room so quickly. Eventually, she took charge and instructed him to return to the shower area while she finished changing.
“Go back in your bathroom. Go back to the shower,” Lieberman recalled telling him.
After getting dressed, she asked World Peace what had happened. His explanation was brief.
“He goes, ‘I kick the ball.’ And I go, ‘The game just started.’”
For Lieberman, the timing made the situation even more memorable. The game had only just begun, yet World Peace had already been sent off and was back in the locker room.
Nancy Lieberman Still Remembers the Encounter
The story offered a glimpse into the unexpected moments that can happen away from the court. World Peace’s ejection was the starting point, but his return to the locker room created an interaction that stayed with Lieberman long after that game.
Looking back on her introduction to the league, Lieberman joked about the experience and how it compared with the problems other people might face.
“So that was my introduction to the league. And you think you got problems?” she said.
She ended the anecdote with a line that summed up why she could still recall the details years later: “I don’t have pictures, but I do have a memory.”
For Lieberman, the incident remains a memorable part of her coaching experience, while World Peace’s early exit gave them an unusual story to revisit years later.