Metta World Peaces Compares Lakers Rookie Ryan Kelly to Kevin Durant

As a basketball “expert” (those quotation marks are so heavy they have their own moons), one of my favorite things to do is offer guesswork player comparisons, typically for guys just leaving college and entering the NBA fray.

Jabari Parker, I might say, is like a slightly more athletic Carmelo Anthony, while some may have seen Greg Oden as the next coming of, I don’t know, Adonal Foyle or something.

We would like this to be Metta World Peace’s job—his and his alone—in perpetuity.

Speaking to ESPN LA 710 Radio (via ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin), the artist formerly known as Ron Artest—lately of the New York Knicks—dished on a whole range of topics, including Kobe Bryant, future coaching plans, keeping J.R. Smith in line and…I’m sorry, what did you say?

On Lakers rookie Ryan Kelly's potential: ‘He’s stronger than Kevin Durant was when he came in [the league] and can do basically the same things, but he has to start [training] now.’

I just laughed so hard my teeth fell out.

We’re not exactly sure what Metta means by “stronger” here. Perhaps he’s referring to the fact that KD could barely bench-press his own body weight coming out of college.

Maybe he means emotionally stronger, like Ryan can get through all 123 minutes of Beaches without so much as blinking. In which case, kudos, Mr. Kelly.

Anyway, Metta said other fun things, like when he called Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni “Michaelangelo” or unfurled the real reason he was happy to be back in L.A. To wit:

This year, I wanted to congratulate the females in L.A. They look amazing. When I came back, I was like, ‘Wow, something’s happened.’ I was only gone since September and they improved 100 percent.

After being bought out by the Knicks back in February, MWP...

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