Metta World Peace talks what he does (and doesn’t) regret from his time with the Pacers

Metta World Peace mentions what he does and doesn’t regret in his NBA career and time with the Indiana Pacers in an interview with GQ.

While most people don’t have the same visceral reactions whey once had to the Malice in the Palace incident, Indiana Pacers fans will always wonder what might have happened with that team.

It was by far one of, if not the best Pacers roster ever assembled, but one fateful night in Detroit stopped us from finding out just how good they might have been.

In a GQ interview with Clay Skipper, Metta World Peace talks about the incident, as well as his NBA career, as he promotes the upcoming documentary, Quiet Storm.

Metta World Peace is clear in that he doesn’t regret standing up for himself as far as the Malice in the Palace is concerned, but he does regret the fact it may have cost the Pacers a shot at a title.

It’s worth reading the whole thing, but Metta World Peace — then known as Ron Artest — does have some regrets about the fallout from it.

From the GQ interview.

"In the film, they talk a little bit about how, in 2004, you guys had you, you had Reggie Miller, you had Jermaine O’Neal—you guys had a real shot to win a title at Indiana.That team was crazy. That team was unbelievable. That team was a hell of a team. Everybody says we could have won it. We definitely could have won it.How tough is that to live with?I kind of regret that. I think when I won a championship [with the Lakers], I got on the podium, the first thing I did was thank [former President of Basketball Operations for the Pacers] Donnie Walsh, Jermaine O’Neal, Al Harrington, Jamaal Tinsley, Steve Jackson, Anthony Johnson. I had to thank them, because we knew we was title ready."

MWP doesn’t fully commit to the regret as he feels justified to defend himself from the beer thrower. Which is understandable in some ways.

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Regardless of how you feel about that, I can’t think of any situation in life where if someone threw something at you, you wouldn’t be justified going after them. Artest might have just wanted to go after the right guy if he did it again.

It’s obviously a bit more complicated when you’re an NBA player, but the Ron Artest/Metta World Peace story is far from simple.

The interview also has him opening up about his struggles with mental health and how the NBA only heightened them at times. The spotlight the NBA puts on anyone is intense, but when you’re dealing with issues on the inside as well, they may be shining too bright.

For most Pacers fans, Metta World Peace’s foray into the stands might have been more easily forgiven had he not demand a trade after the Pacers backed him during his suspension. He did say in 2016 he doesn’t forgive himself for that.

Metta World Peace will always be controversial, especially among Pacers fans. But hopefully, as time passes and our understanding of mental health has grown since then, we all accept what’s in the past.

Quiet Storm premieres on Showtime on May 31 at 10 p.m.