Lakers’ Metta World Peace grateful for Kobe Bryant signing his retirement letter

Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace

PHILADELPHIA — The pair experienced intimate moments, the most cherished memory involving Kobe Bryant pouring champagne on the former Ron Artest after playing a key part in securing the Lakers’ latest NBA championship nearly five years ago.

But Metta World Peace also remained in high spirits in recent days over a different gesture Bryant recently did. World Peace grabbed a copy of Bryant’s letter that was distributed to fans before Sunday’s game against Indiana at Staples Center. Bryant then signed the letter and offered a personal message.

“Love you like a brother,” Bryant wrote.

World Peace then framed the letter and posted it on his Instagram.

“That was pretty cool,” World Peace told Los Angeles News Group. “I’m slowly putting some stuff up in my place. That’s something I wanted to hang up.”

World Peace then gushed about Bryant’s future that will have nothing to do with collecting five NBA championships, climbing to third place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list or struggling against Father Time.

“Kobe can write,” said World Peace, who admired Bryant’s thoughtfulness and descriptiveness in his letter. “Kobe can write movies, commercials. He’s a writer.”

So much that World Peace then joked, “He’s a better writer than you.”


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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com