By the Numbers
5: Starts made by Metta World Peace, who had spent the previous season out of the NBA.
17: Points scored against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 5, which led his team and were his season-high.
66.7: Percentage shot on 3-pointers in the season's first two weeks, as he shot 8-of-12 to lead the league. However, World Peace finished with a clip of just 31.0.
Season Summary
After playing the previous season in Italy and China, World Peace was the last Laker to make the roster during training camp, which he considered one of the top accomplishments of his career. The 36-year-old shot a career-low 31.1 percent and wasn't able to consistently display his trademark defensive capabilities, but was more valuable on the practice court, where he helped mentor the Lakers' crop of young players. He also stepped up his production in his rare starts, averaging 8.6 points on 50.0 percent shooting.
In His Own Words
"This year, I earned it. People don't understand, man. I earned it. And I wasn't even guaranteed. That was the first time I was in a situation where I wasn't guaranteed. So I had to go out there and perform. ... I worked really hard for that last spot."
Shot Chart