Metta World Peace gets ‘Punk’d’

If there was ever a time for Lakers forward Metta World Peace to test his powers of restraint, it would be this.

He’s headed for a meeting involving mental health charities, only to have his publicist tell him that he’s parking in the wrong location. So World Peace tries to exit, but before he can, a woman in the car in front of him can’t get past the gate for some reason. While World Peace gets on the intercom with security to get them to lift the gate, one of his friends simply breaks off the gate’s wooden arm. A few cars behind World Peace then honk for the woman to drive through and she does so — only to realize that the traffic control spikes have flipped up, flattening her tires.

All of a sudden, the livid driver accuses World Peace of honking the horn and goading her into driving through the traffic spikes, and she says she’s calling the police. Meanwhile, fans are approaching World Peace’s car asking for photos and autographs. The Laker’s frustration grows, but he keeps himself in check. Finally, he’s let in on a little secret.

He’d been “Punk’d.”

Of course this would happen to World Peace. After all, he’s appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in his underwear. He thanked his psychologist after his Game 7 heroics in the 2010 NBA Finals. Everyone remembered World Peace as Ron Artest before he changed his name this past off-season. And the Lakers’ goofiest player made an interesting comparison when he discussed the implications behind the Lakers’ 119-90 Game 1 loss Monday to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.

“It’s the same thing like a man that has five wives,” World Peace told reporters. “He’s been divorced once and he moved on and got married again. You’ve got to move on. It’s a new life. That’s how the game is. I’m having fun. There’s still a lot of passion involved. We will love Game 2.”

And everyone will love World Peace’s appearance on MTV’s “Punk’d.”

(H/T to Laker Nation’s David Brickley for the find)

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