Metta World Peace thinks NBA players are a 'bunch of babies'

Metta World Peace has returned to the Los Angeles Lakers after a few seasons away from the NBA. Don't worry, he's as outspoken as ever.

"I remember I came into the NBA in 1999, the game was a little bit more rough," he told The Los Angeles Times after practice Saturday. "The game now is more for kids. It's not really a man's game anymore. The parents are really protective of their children. They cry to their [Amateur Athletic Union] coaches. They cry to the refs, 'That's a foul. That's a foul.'"

World Peace, signed to a non-guaranteed $1.5 million minimum contract, is vying to earn a roster spot for the team's Oct. 28 opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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The forward, who changed his name from Ron Artest in 2011, is about to turn 36. He just isn't terribly impressed with his 20-something colleagues across the league, apart from teammate Julius Randle.

"You've got a bunch of babies professionally around the world," World Peace said.