Emotional displays are what coaches normally covet from their players, until they indisciplinary and cost the team valuable "foul differentials." In the case of Metta World Peace punting a basketball into the stands, his coach Charles Oakley was left virtually powerless as he watched his pupil return to his spot on the bench.
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Oakley, a Knicks legend, is the head coach of the Killer 3s, a team vying for the 2018 BIG3 championship. If you haven't done so already, its worth noting how differently the BIG3 operates. Gameplay is limited to a half court setup where offensive rebounds can be safely deposited without clearing the ball outside the perimeter.
In the opening minutes of the Killer 3s' game against Trilogy at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, too out his frustration on the basketball instead of losing his temper with the referee. Needless to say, he may have chosen wrong. The ex-NBA player was subsequently tossed from the game, his exit momentarily interrupted by a word from Coach Oakley who asked him, "You can't do that! What you doing, huh?"
The stakes in BIG3 basketball are unquestionably lower than in the NBA, but it still stands to reason how far World Peace has come since garnering an 86 game suspension for instigating a brawl in the stands during a Pistons/Pacers game in 2004. Metta World Peace née Ron Artest was also the lucky recipient of 11 ejections during his 17 seasons in the NBA.
