Metta World Peace is enjoying his much needed break! With a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals, the Pacers have notched up an electrifying performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a jaw-dropping clutch shot to win Game 1, Tyrese Haliburton has continued to put up impressive performances. It seems Metta World Peace couldn’t help as he was present at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to watch the action live. He was spotted at the Finals, even though he had to put his Knicks head coach campaign on hold.

The Pacers handed a tough defeat to the Knicks as they advanced to the Finals. Following this, former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was fired. This was shocking news to many. Thibodeau is one of the most talented and respected coaches, and he proved it by leading the team to its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. As the Knicks began their hunt for a new coach, former NBA player was active on social media expressing his interest.

“Metta is the perfect choice for head coach of the [Knicks]. Since 1999, this was suppose[d] to happen. I’ve never ran from the city,” he said. However, putting a pause on his campaign, the former NBA player made his way to the Finals along with one special family member. “Hanging with the mother of my two granddaughters ‘@lilkimsha,” he captioned the Instagram story. He wore a special jersey to cheer for the $3.6 billion Pacers (as per Forbes), as seen in the IG story he posted. 

It seems the 2004 NBA player forgot that this is the same team that defeated the Knicks. Moreover, the decades-old rivalry between the two teams is not unfamiliar to the people! After the Knicks fired Thibodeau, MWP was quick to make his interest known. During his social media posts, the Queens native claimed that despite his lack of coaching experience, he is a fitting candidate for the position. 

“When all the top players left NYC because it was hard , I went to [St John’s]. I wanted to be drafted by the Knicks, I seemed to be the only one un-afraid of the city. I’m built to challenge the city. I’m the number one guy for the job,” he wrote. Fans and netizens have polarizing views, believing that he must gain experience as an assistant coach first.

Back in the 1999 draft, the Knicks chose Frédéric Weis, who never played an NBA game, over him. It seems that this time, MWP wants to return to the team as a coach after his brief stint as a player in the 2013-2014 season. 

While the New York Knicks are still looking for a new coach to fill the gap, the former Indiana Pacers player must have decided to take  a closer look at the thrilling matchup between his former team and the Thunder. While doing so, he also got to spend some time with his family. 

How many kids does Metta World Peace have? 

The former NBA player has two sons, Ron III and Jeron, and two daughters, Sadie and Diamond. Both of his sons played basketball, while one of his daughters played tennis. However, not much is known about them. Just last year, Ron Artest and his wife, Maya Sandiford Artest, welcomed their first child together.

In a conversation with People, Maya opened up about her pregnancy and the challenges she faced. “The first trimester was an absolute nightmare. I was sick every day. I feel like women don’t talk enough about how brutal the first trimester can be, maybe in fear of appearing ungrateful,” she shared. 

While she’s right in pointing out that this part of motherhood is rarely talked about, her decision to share her experience empowers other mothers to speak about it more openly. She also expressed deep appreciation for the love and support Metta World Peace showed during that time.

As he praised his wife for handling it like a “boss” the former NBA player explained that he tried to help as much as he could. “Honestly, she’s the pregnant one so I just help out when I can,” he said. The former NBA player had expressed his excitement about witnessing every stage of the pregnancy, as he couldn’t experience that during the births of his other children. The two had organized a private and heartwarming baby shower. Apart from his career, Metta World Peace also makes sure to spend quality time with his family