World Peace to return Tuesday
Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace made a surprising announcement on Monday when he said he would play in Tuesday's game against New Orleans, just 12 days after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, multiple media outlets reported.
The surgery was supposed to sideline World Peace for six weeks.
World Peace took part in a three-on-three scrimmage at practice Monday, and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said there was a 90 percent chance World Peace would play Tuesday.
"He's good," D'Antoni told reporters, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com. "It's probably a game-time decision, but he looks good. He's raring to go. The medical staff will make a decision tomorrow. It's unbelievable. He's different. ... I've never seen this before. Tomorrow morning he'll go through some more tests, and if he passes he'll play."
"I'm not very surprised," Kobe Bryant said, according to USA Today. "He takes care of himself. He eats all the right stuff. Still, it's extremely impressive."
World Peace said that, if it were up to him, he would have played three games ago.
"Right after surgery, they were amazed how the swelling didn't even exist off of meniscus surgery," World Peace said, according to ESPNLosAngeles.com. "You can play, but the swelling is what keeps you from playing, so when I didn't have any swelling that's why I was pushing to play. I wanted to play three games ago. It was good teamwork with the doctors and training staff. We have to make a push and make a championship run."
