00:00Dexter Henry here from the New York Post with former NBA champion, native New Yorker, former New York Knickerbocker, Metta
00:07World Peace here with me.
00:09We're at Share the Wealth, an event that is helping spark conversation around mental health in our community.
00:16Metta, how you doing, man?
00:17Good to be here, man. It's really good to be here. Thanks for coming down.
00:20Well, no, I'm glad to have you here. There's a lot I would like to talk to you about.
00:23There's a lot going on in the city and a lot going on here with this event.
00:26I know you've been watching. The basketball fan you are. You see what's going on with the Knicks.
00:30They are in the NBA Finals. We don't know who they're going to play.
00:33What have you made of their run? What's made this run so special for you?
00:37You know, it's something that we looked forward to as a kid, even though we grew up Bulls fans because
00:41you kind of ride the bandwagon as a kid.
00:46But when the Bulls played the Knicks, we never wanted to see the Bulls beat the Knicks.
00:49Right. And they make it to the finals, you know, a couple of times, actually, and not to get over
00:56the hump.
00:57Us proud New Yorkers, you know, we kind of feel a certain way about that.
01:01So as a kid that went to St. John's and actually could have created that energy in the garden.
01:08Just imagine, you know, winning defensive player of the year in the garden from Queens.
01:13And I thought that was going to be legendary. So, you know, you fast forward to 2026 in the finals.
01:19They're going to win the finals.
01:20Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. We got a prediction from you here.
01:24You said they are going to win in the finals. Why so confident?
01:29Prediction, support, not rooting for anybody else, whichever way you want to call it.
01:35That's it. You know, we all in right now.
01:38You know, I'm obviously a Pacer fan. People know I'm a Pacer fan because of everything I've been through with
01:43the Pacers.
01:43And the whole city had my back when people was doing whatever.
01:47So the Pacers is definitely my number one, you know, team that I love.
01:51But, you know, I get a chance to not have the Knicks play the Pacers, which is great.
01:56To not have the Knicks play the Lakers, which, you know, I love L.A.
02:00For the Knicks to be on the island against teams that I've never played for.
02:04This is great.
02:05You know, so from that perspective, I get a chance to really just be a fan like I was as
02:10a kid.
02:11Well, speaking of that, being a fan as a kid, we are both native New Yorkers.
02:15You from Queens, myself from Brooklyn.
02:17What would it mean to you?
02:19Have you thought about if this team wins a championship?
02:21What would that mean to Metta World Peace to see the Knicks win a championship, celebrate down the Canyon of
02:26Heroes?
02:26It's going to mean just as much to me as every other New Yorker.
02:30You know, we want to see it.
02:33And I just can't wait.
02:35I can't wait to wear that New York Knicks shirt that says champion.
02:41I can't wait to wear the hat.
02:43I can't wait to get the shorts.
02:45I can't wait to get the hoodie.
02:47I don't care.
02:47I can't wait to go to a restaurant and talk to another New Yorker about it.
02:50But, I mean, you know, I'm just excited.
02:53I know they got a job to do, but I'm excited to see that when it says, and you're new
02:59champions.
03:03I wanted you to say it.
03:04I wanted you to say it with your verbato in there.
03:06But I like it.
03:07The new champions, you can hear that.
03:09And you're New York Knicks.
03:122026 NBA champions.
03:14There we go.
03:14Can't wait.
03:15I like it.
03:16Now, I got to ask you this, because we're here at Fountain House, an event that you're doing,
03:20with a good friend, Roz Golden.
03:21What a share of the wealth.
03:23It is Mental Health Awareness Month here this month in May.
03:27Tell me a little bit more about this.
03:29You've been an advocate before a lot of people for decades now about mental health awareness.
03:34Why is that so important to you, and where do you think the conversation is growing around mental health awareness?
03:40I think most of mental health issues is a man-made problem, right?
03:46And I think, like, we've got to support us as individuals and as people and as humans.
03:52So you just can't create an issue and then leave the issue.
03:58You know, people are struggling out there, trying to figure out how to raise a family together, have to work,
04:05can't be there for their child that's being born, got to leave.
04:08And there's so many different things.
04:10So we've got to be very supportive of that.
04:13It's not a cool thing for everyone.
04:15Some people just say, you know what?
04:17Let them figure it out on their own, because I'm doing well.
04:20That's not how we think about this.
04:22We think about this as we're going to support people that need it.
04:26We're going to pull each other's resources.
04:28And if our resources get in the way of your bottom line, we don't necessarily care, right?
04:35We care about helping the people.
04:38So if that's a battle we've got to fight for the long haul, well, we're just going to deep waters
04:44and do it, because we're going to make sure that we get the message out there.
04:47We're not leaving no woman, no man behind, right?
04:50And I was kind of first to it.
04:51You know, now people are monetizing their mental health, they're monetizing and profiting, because it's an opportunity, right?
05:01Because there's so much funding and support.
05:04When we were doing it, we just wanted to bring awareness that it don't matter how much money you make.
05:10It don't matter that you're a professional athlete, you know, that can jump and run.
05:15You know, athletes go through things.
05:16Normal people go through things.
05:18Business people go through things, right?
05:20And we want to make sure that you have the platform to be vulnerable.
05:23And now look at all the sports teams.
05:25I think every sports team right now have a therapist on staff, if I'm not mistaken.
05:31And that's a beautiful thing that we're seeing, because I was going to ask you about how it is for
05:34sports teams and athletes.
05:35You just talked about the importance of it.
05:37But I guess the last thing we'll leave on this, being that it's May, it's Mental Health Awareness Month, you're
05:42doing this wonderful event, sharing the wealth.
05:45Outside, right?
05:46Outside on these New York City streets.
05:47A lot of good vibes right now with the Knicks.
05:50You see a lot of people smiling.
05:51Got to make you feel good about people's mental health.
05:54What can sports, what can sports, and particularly the Knicks here in the city, what can it do for the
05:59mental health of New Yorkers?
06:00Well, definitely the Knicks winning the title is going to create a lot of incredibly positive mental health.
06:07Health, that's for sure.
06:10There will be a lot of happiness.
06:11You know, but I think sports in general.
06:15Whether you're playing basketball, playing tag, we're in New York City, handball, dodgeball.
06:20You know, we need more places for kids to interact.
06:24You know, what happened to freeze tag?
06:26What happened to tag?
06:26What happened to catch one, catch all, and all these things we did outdoors?
06:30So I think that's very – that's a sport.
06:32You know, catch one, catch all.
06:34You're actually running and you're working on your endorphins and different things like that.
06:38So I think sports bring people together, and we need more of it.
06:42All right.
06:43One last thing I've got to ask you.
06:44Sorry, I've got one more thing for you.
06:45Because you said to me the Knicks are definitely going to win the championship, and I loved your confidence.
06:49Does it matter to you who they play, if it's the Spurs or the Thunder?
06:53Does it matter?
06:53You're still picking them?
06:54It doesn't matter.
06:56For me, Jalen Brunson is the best player in the playoffs.
07:00If we have the best player in the playoffs, and this coach right now is in his bag, if that's
07:07the case,
07:08we have the best coach, the most experienced coach actually also.
07:12That's the point.
07:13That says a lot.
07:14That's why Rick Carlisle was able to go so far, because he was coaching against coaches that had no experience.
07:20Mike Brown, the thing about this year is a lot of coaches are not ready for this style of play.
07:28You know, the game has changed.
07:31It's very physical.
07:32Mike Brown understands that, and Jalen Brunson plays just like he's in the 90s.
07:37If you look at Jalen Brunson's game, this fits him.
07:41You know, a lot of players are looking to play under the new rules.
07:44Well, guess what?
07:45The game is aggressive.
07:47Right, so we have the best player, the most experienced coach, the most confident owner, you know, and Mr. Dolan.
07:55It's time to get Dolan the ring.
07:57It's time.
07:58I think it's time for all New Yorkers to see a championship, and also help their mental health a little
08:03bit.
08:03Yes?
08:04Dolan deserves a ring more than everybody.
08:08He received the most crap out of anybody, out of fans.
08:12I don't care how many times we lost, and the fans are upset at home on a Sunday dinner.
08:17Man, we lost.
08:18But how many times has people, Dolan, Dolan, Dolan, Dolan.
08:22You know, Dolan deserves his ring, right?
08:25He's the MVP, co-MVP with Brunson.
08:28And then, you know, after that, we deserve our ring in New York City, baby.
08:34There you go.
08:35You heard it from Metta World Peace.
08:36Share the wealth.
08:37Doing a great job with that.
08:39Helping to improve awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month in the month of May.
08:42Metta, appreciate you, man.
08:44Okay, Metta, so you said there's something else you want to talk to me about.
08:47Yeah.
08:48What is it?
08:49Let me hear it.
08:49I mean, we're in Wall Street.
08:50I'm from New York.
08:51We have a sports fund that's launching, and we're going to make investments in sports teams, adjacent sports real estate,
08:58and then adjacent sports technology.
08:59And the crazy thing about this sports fund is called a sports group, very simply.
09:06So apparently there's never been a sports group, so we're the first.
09:09So I'm really excited about the venture and also our test education foundation.
09:14We're coming here.
09:15All the positive stuff that we've done in the city, mental health, education, giving back.
09:20Now we bring an organization around it where we're going to prepare athletes and students, you know, for life.
09:26So our test education foundation.org is live.
09:30And just, you know, stay up to date on the journey.
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