Metta World Peace on Knicks HC Position: 'It's the Only Job I Want'

Metta World Peace told Baron Davis during the Business Inside the Game summit that he really wanted to be the head coach of the New York Knicks, per Josh Martin of CloseUp360.com. 

When Davis told World Peace he should take that gig, World Peace responded, "I would take it. It's the only job I want. That job, the St. John's [job]...I'm not the type of person that would say, 'I hope somebody has a losing season or...'"

Davis responded, "Let's hope St. John's lose, so you can get the job."

"No, it's fine. I hope they win," World Peace responded. "But there's a couple jobs that I'm, like, really...I'm not interested in being an assistant coach. People is always saying, 'Hey, why don't you wanna be an assistant?' Because I just don't want to. I want to go straight to the head job."

It isn't the first time that World Peace has expressed interest in becoming the Knicks head coach. In December, he talked about his desire to hold the position in a series of since-deleted tweets. 

"I definitely want to head coach there," he tweeted. "I will absolutely bring that street mentality to the garden. Red brick, hard nose, let's get it popping. QB. This would be epic for all people like me. Straight from the jungles to win a title in NYC. Blaat."

He also tweeted in December that he'd have a message for the team's fans.

"If I ever got the Knicks job, my first message would be direct to fans and media. It wouldn't be nice," he wrote. "But I'm a straight shooter. Pinpoint straight. I'm not happy how you guys put pressure on every coach and star. Shut up and enjoy the game. Be supportive and let's win a title."

Hard to imagine New York fans taking kindly to those words.

As for the people who might say World Peace isn't ready for such a high-profile gig, he said he'd tell them to "eat 50 rocks without water."

World Peace, 40, spent 18 seasons in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, averaging 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game. 

In his post-playing career, World Peace has been working as a coach for high school girls basketball. Going from that level to a high-profile college or NBA head-coaching job, without taking some assistant gigs at those levels first, would be quite the jump. 

But World Peace has his sights set on someday coaching the Knicks, his hometown team.