Metta World Peace may have been suspended for the next seven Lakers game for giving James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder a concussion, but he’s regained the favor of Wavves’ Nathan Williams in the process. SPIN joined diehard Lakers fan Williams and his girlfriend, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, for last Sunday’s Lakers game against the Thunder, which went into double overtime. Some time in the first quarter, Williams turned to me to say, “Metta World Peace tried to get me kicked out of the VMAs for smoking a blunt. He was like, ‘Put it out, now.’ ” Wavves bassist Stephen Pope, who was also at the game and rooting for the Thunder, had been tossed out of last August’s ceremony for marijuana possession. Minutes later, the Thunders’ Harden hit the floor after being elbowed in the head by World Peace. (He was later diagnosed with a concussion.)
“See? World Peace,” Williams remarked of the former Ron Artest, rolling his eyes. “He’s one of the dirtiest players.” There were no instant replays at the Staples Center, but when World Peace was ejected from the game, Williams had a change of heart: “I forgive him. Just now. This sucks, we might lose.” The Lakers ended up winning by eight points in double overtime, so maybe World Peace isn’t so essential after all? “Actually, that’s why we went into double overtime,” says Williams. Williams is currently in the studio working on his followup to 2010’s King of the Beach.
