With a name like Metta World Peace, you would think that the Lakers forward would be more than willing to make up for his vicious elbow to the head of James Harden.
World Peace, however, will be for anything but that when the two teams square off in the Western Conference semifinals.
After clocking Harden with an elbow a couple of weeks ago — an incident that earned World Peace a seven-game suspension — the Lakers forward says that he will not shake the hand of Harden when the two teams square off.
"I don't shake substitutes' hands," World Peace said, according to ESPN.com.
It's not like World Peace doesn't have it all thought out, either. He's very familiar with the handshaking habits of the Thunder as well.
"I shake everybody's hand before the game, but Oklahoma City, they don't shake hands," he said. "Only some of them, but I don't think they really shake hands before the game. Kendrick Perkins and now [Russel] Westbrook don't shake hands either. [Russell] used to shake hands, but now he don't shake hands anymore."
World Peace — who was then Ron Artest — first got to know Perkins' handshaking habits when the center was in Boston playing with the Celtics.
"I used to go and shake hands," World Peace said. "I've been playing against Kendrick forever. Kendrick, he'll never shake your hand so I'd have to go and find Kendrick and shake his hand. In Boston, every game I'd have to go to him and say, 'Hey,' and then tap him on the butt. He don't touch my hand. But, I'm getting tired of making that walk."
That's World Peace for you.
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