Jeremy Lin Gets Fashion Advice from Lakers' Washed Up Metta World Peace

It's a good thing Metta World Peace can advise the young Jeremy Lin on fashion, because that's as far as his expertise goes these days.

The Los Angeles Lakers are paying the artist formally known as Ron Artest almost $7 million dollars this year to play terrible basketball and, apparently, to dispense his wisdom on everything from sunglasses to haircuts.When asked by CBS's Ken Berger if the Lakers discussed Lin in the locker room, World Peace replied:

"

Yeah, we talk about him. We think he needs a better haircut. I don’t like that style. You’re in New York, the fashion capital. Change your haircut, OK? You’re a star now. Wear some shades. Shades, OK? Put down the nerdy Harvard book glasses. Put on some black shades, OK? With some leather pants. Change your style.

"

The complete comments are worth perusing. By all accounts, Mike Brown is a pretty good coach, but if the locker room chats are lingering on haircuts, it's no wonder the middling LakeShow couldn't put away a lineup of cast-offs and bench players Friday night.

Los Angeles has clearly been a productive change of scenery for World Peace. Once unstable and belligerent, Metta is now a poster child for all that is irrelevant in the league—most notably, what it means for an NBA star to look good off the court.

Perhaps Lin could give World Peace some advice on how to look better on the court.

Once a fierce defensive presence capable of offensive contribution, World Peace has become little more than a decent stopper on the wing. He's playing only 22.3 minutes a game this season and averaging under five points a contest. Though never known as a dominant scorer, he's shooting a full 10 percent below his career average this year at a laughable 32 percent. His player efficiency rating is a baffling low 5.43.

Indeed, Metta isn't good for much more than laughs these days.

Lin, meanwhile, has clearly remained focused more on his game than his look. In his last four contests (more or less his only four games with meaningful minutes), Lin has averaged 28.5 points and eight assists in a flurry that has generated hype bordering on mass hysteria.

A small sample size, but enough court action to catch the attention of even marginal hoops fans.

After his most recent breakout (38 points in a shocking win over the Los Angeles Lakers), most New Yorkers will tell Lin to keep the haircut and wear whatever he feels like. 

Metta, on the other hand, has apparently been spending a bit too much time looking in the mirror (and not in that deep, reflective, Michael Jackson sense). While Lin's play was absolutely clutch in the final moments against the Lakers, World Peace's evening was summed up best by his wide open three-pointer late in the fourth quarter: The shot had a better chance of landing in New Jersey than it did in going in.

Maybe it's time for Metta to go into fashion consulting? Leave the basketball to Jeremy Lin.