“My Reputation was on the Line”: When Larry Bird Put Aside the Fear of Hurting His Legacy Aside and Posed with the Notorious Metta World Peace

After the infamous Malice at the Palace incident in 2004, Indiana Pacers Forward Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace or Metta Standiford-Artest) received a staggering 86-game suspension. His reputation suffered a massive setback as well. Because of his now tarnished reputation in the league, any association with him raised eyebrows in NBA circles.

Despite all that, Indiana Pacers’ then President of Basketball Operations, Larry Bird was asked to pose for a cover photo with Metta World Peace for the 2005-06 season preview edition of Sports Illustrated. The legendary NBA figure had deep reservations about the decision because he thought the photo could tarnish his reputation in the league.

In his joint 2009 autobiography with Magic Johnson, When the Game Was Ours, Larry Bird recounted the events that led to his SI cover photo with Metta World Peace. In 2005, Pacers’ Public Relations Director David Benner implored Bird to pose with MWP to create “positive publicity” for the organization. The Celtics legend didn’t approve of the idea but the Pacers administration wanted to restore their “credibility”. Therefore, he had to go ahead with it as the top executive of the franchise.

“I knew my reputation was on the line. In my heart, I knew, if Ronny[Metta World Peace] had another incident, what it would mean for me, but I did what I had to do”, Bird wrote in his 2009 memoir.

Bird’s skepticism about posing with MWP was natural. As someone who commanded respect from fans and players alike, he didn’t want a stain on his legacy. The title of the SI October 24, 2005 issue cover “The Odd Couple: You may not love Ron Artest but Larry Bird does” sure could have gone South for Larry Legend. As for Artest himself, the period was as tumultuous as it gets.

It is ironic that Larry Bird had to pose with Metta to save the Pacers’ and the NBA’s tarnished reputation. Notably, Bird and Magic’s iconic rivalry in the 80s saved the league from being ignored by the public as the abode of drug addicts and thugs. However, the incident in Detroit once again relegated the league to its previous depths of infamy. So Larry Legend had to come to the rescue once again.

Metta World Peace fell into depression after the incident

After being portrayed as a malicious figure, the Pacers Forward dealt with a lot of inner turmoil. Often when one is cast as a villain, they can internalize that image. This internalization can lead the person to consider their ongoing pursuits an annoyance. They can give up on their craft altogether to channel their frustration. 

Therefore, it was not surprising that Artest was going through such a struggle. In 2015, on Sportsnet’s pod Free Association, he said, “It took me awhile [to recover], man. When I had the brawl I went into a real depression. I was 245-250 lbs and feeling good. After the brawl I got up to 275 lbs—quickly. I was ready to retire.”

Before the brawl, he was averaging 25 points per game and he disclosed that his improved offense “had a lot to do with Larry[Bird].” However, in the post-brawl scenario, the “disloyal” and “egoistic” Forward showcased animosity regularly. In his own words, he was “disruptive, dysfunctional, and mentally unstable.” Despite these characteristics, the Forward stated that Bird was with him “150%”.

Considering that the 2010 champion himself acknowledged problems with his attitude, Larry Legend’s second thoughts about having a photo shoot were understandable. However, he took one for the team so that the Pacers organization could regain some credibility in the aftermath of the incident.