The 10-year anniversary of the Malice at the Palace is Wednesday, and Metta World Peace is commemorating it with a new book.
But in promoting “The Untold Story of the Malice at the Palace,’’ World Peace told The Post in an interview from China some malice that occurred in the Knicks’ locker room last season is possibly why he is not on the team this season, helping them run the triangle offense.
With World Peace’s knee healthy as he plays in the Chinese Basketball Association for the Sichuan Blue Whales, and the Knicks flailing with their new offense, team president Phil Jackson may have blown it in not bringing back World Peace for a redo.
However, the Queensbridge product thinks he knows why.
“I’m too direct,’’ said World Peace, who will return from China in March and may try to sign with a contender such as the Clippers.
The former Ron Artest disclosed he and J.R. Smith had a heated incident in the locker room after a game last season because World Peace was trying to get Smith to play harder on defense.
World Peace’s agent, Marc Cornstein, spoke to the Knicks during the summer, and World Peace reached out personally to Jackson, who never returned his phone call.
I said some things directly to J.R. Smith in the locker room and he challenged me back.
- Metta World Peace
“I don’t understand why they didn’t [sign] me,’’ World Peace said. “But then again, I’m very direct. I think I was too direct in the locker room, too direct to J.R. Smith. It wasn’t from a bad place. I’m older, been on great teams in Sacramento and L.A.
“If someone is not playing defense or not giving effort, that’s my specialty. I don’t hold back on my words. Nobody wants to talk direct to them. We don’t give it to them straight.
“I said some things directly to J.R. Smith in the locker room and he challenged me back, said some direct things to me. But he understood where we came from.”
World Peace battled a swollen knee last season. Even when healthy, former Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who viewed Smith as the son he never had, kept World Peace in the doghouse. The Knicks waived World Peace after the trade deadline.
According to World Peace, on one occasion, owner James Dolan walked into the film room for a bull session. World Peace said he was the only player to speak up about why the team was in disarray.
“You don’t hold nothing back when things are going wrong,’’ World Peace said. “You have to tell Melo [Carmelo Anthony] when he’s being lazy. You have to speak about these things, so when the playoffs come, everyone knows where everybody stands.’’
As an American playing in China, World Peace is allowed to play only two quarters, and is averaging 20 points per game.
“You don’t hold nothing back when things are going wrong,’’ World Peace said. “You have to tell Melo [Carmelo Anthony] when he’s being lazy.”
“The knee issue is behind me,’’ he said. “I’m one of the best all-around small forwards in the world.’’
World Peace will sell his new book on the 2004 brawling incident — when he ran up into the stands and scuffled with a fan — on his website at mettaworldpeace.com. He’s using proceeds to help mental health awareness — something for which his father also has a foundation. World Peace already raised $700,000 for mental health by raffling off his 2009 Lakers championship ring.
“Actually it feels like it never happened, only the footage keeps me affiliated,’’ World Peace said.
“Mentally I’ve moved on from it. One of the things I wanted to do was in the book was go through the years before the incident and my mentality that night and the night before. And my relationships with my father, mother, things I couldn’t let go as a kid.’’
On Monday, World Peace bought a courtside seat at the Garden for a March contest. He will watch the triangle live — unless he has signed with another team by then. Over the summer, he worked out in Los Angeles with Iman Shumpert and stressed footwork to get him ready for Jackson’s offense.
Told the triangle has confused some players, World Peace said: “When I was drafted, the Bulls [with coach Tim Floyd] ran the triangle. I pretty much got to know the triangle with the Lakers. It’s not that hard. What it is, it’s movement and knowing how to play off the ball. It’s a winning offense that won 11 rings.’’