Among the Knicks draft blunders in franchise history, selecting Frederic Weis over Metta World Peace, known as Ron Artest at the time, in the 1999 NBA Draft was one of the more infamous decisions.
World Peace was a New York native and standout at St. John's. Weis was an international player from France who ultimately never played a game in the NBA.
So what was the exact reason the Knicks didn't select World Peace 20 years ago?
"Honestly, I caused that," World Peace told Stefan Bondy of the Daily News on Friday. "Because I was getting in trouble. I didn't show up to my first Knick tryout. I was partying the night before in New York. I was f--ked up. I had my Knicks tryout the next day. I got drunk in Westchester, in the hotel, like, 'Yo I can't make it out the bed.'"
World Peace, who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls the very next pick, told reporters in 2003 that he missed the workout because of an upset stomach but returned for a group session with Shawn Marion. That, according to World Peace, also did not happen.
"I'm like, 'I'm coming to New York anyway, I'm not tripping,'" he said. "I said, 'I'll just come back another time and work out.' That's what I said. And they was like, 'F--k out of here.'"
There were already plenty of pre-draft concerns over World Peace, whose 17-year NBA career was overshadowed by his erratic behavior, including the "Malice at the Palace" and a 2009 admission that he would drink Hennessy at halftime of games with the Bulls.
In a Showtime documentary "Quiet Storm," which debuted on Friday, the 39-year-old divulges into his battle with mental disorder while at St. John's that left him prone to rage and mood swings.
"I wish I could've went to the Knicks," he told Bondy. "That's where I wanted to go."
World Peace lasted just two-and-a-half seasons in Chicago before he was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He was an All-Star in 2003 but the next year the "Malice at the Palace" happened, where World Peace assaulted a fan and was suspended the remainder of the season.
The former NBA forward would play for the Kings and Rockets before finding some stability with the Lakers, where he spent six seasons and won an NBA Finals in 2010. He got a chance to play with the Knicks in the 2013-14 season, but it was a short-lived 29 games before he returned for two more seasons with the Lakers.
World Peace is left wondering if things really would have been different in his career had the Knicks drafted him.
"They would've traded me in two years," he said. "But maybe I would've had more support. I mean, I'm from New York. Who knows? I was hoping I was going to New York. That would've been huge, man. It would've worked out good."