Former NBA champ Metta World Peace to play in PH

Ron Artest. AP FILE PHOTO/Don Ryan

MANILA, Philippines-World peace is coming to the Philippines.

In an odd and colorful way.

Metta World Peace, who now plies his trade in the Chinese Basketball Association, announced on his official Twitter account that he would be playing ball in the Philippines.

“Philippine Basketball League soon! Angola Basketball League! During my off time these are my next stops. Get ready Africa. Metta is coming,” the man formerly known as Ron Artest posted on Twitter Thursday morning (Manila time).

World Peace was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the NBA championship in 2010.

Manny Pacquiao, the head coach of KIA Sorento, signified his desire back in August to sign World Peace to play in the PBA as an import, but, the forward did not specifically tell where he would play.

World Peace probably referred to the PBA as the PBL has been defunct for several years.

It is also unclear if World Peace would go for a Filipino-rooted name as he once changed his name, again, to Panda Friend when he landed on China.

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