by Gabe Zaldivar
Last updated: 4:25 PM ET, Tue September 23, 2014
Image via Courtside Access
Metta World Peace has a new home, new name and new sneakers you tourists bumping around China just have to see.
Now there is plenty to take in and experience when visiting China, including all of that smog we have heard such wonderful things about. However, there is a new superstar hanging around, and he makes Sichuan a must-see destination.
The man formerly known as Ron Artest (and somewhat formerly known as Metta World Peace) is playing basketball in China for the Sichuan Blue Whales, giving tourists with a hankering for professional basketball all they need in the entertainment department.
Some of you with a plane ticket in hand might have reservations about seeing the basketball clown. Let's count the ways you will be thoroughly enthralled.
First, World Peace has changed his name once again, opting for the far funkier The Panda's Friend, which we presume rolls off the tongue in Chinese.
Second, and most importantly, he has rolled out a new line of basketball sneakers with teddy-bear-head technology.
Courtside Access' Angela Koussian reports the former NBA star will don some interesting kicks for the season. You can see what they look like above, via Koussian's report.
Koussian writes, "The 'panda friendly' shoes are designed for Metta World Peace and they have one interesting element to them: the 'panda' has been attached to the tongue of the shoe. The design was done in house, by someone on Metta World Peace's internal team."
World Peace offered to Courtside Access the following in a statement, "Before every game, I will be wearing the white or black shoes. The top part of the shoe has a panda on it. I will be throwing it to a friend in the crowd. The person who catches it will be the Panda's Friend of the day."
That sure beats getting a free shirt from one of those t-shirt cannons. However, there is some debate as to how detachable the head is and what the head represents.
Bleacher Report was corrected recently by the man himself:
Who then further explained that the bear is but the panda's friend, not a panda-something Deadspin felt the need to clarify as well.
As you can clearly see, all things MWP begin with bewilderment and end in the realm of the wholly absurd. We somehow went from witnessing the age of animal shoes on basketball courts to a debate on what animal actually sit on the tongue of this shoe.
We can't wait for the day when Metta World Peace just plays on top of actual teddy bears taped to his feet, because that will be the day that true world peace wraps the earth like a giant hug.
Some enjoy visiting theme parks on vacation or taking in local fare. Really, World Peace is all you need to make your trip an unforgettable one.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
