Metta World Peace to return from torn meniscus injury Tuesday

As if we needed another reason to be convinced Metta World Peace was something different from everyone else.

By Satchel Price Apr 8, 2013, 3:34pm EDT

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace has always done things a bit differently than everyone else. That includes recovering from major knee surgery, apparently.

Just 12 days after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, World Peace says he will play against the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night as the Lakers make their playoff push, Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles reports.

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Considering that the team said World Peace would likely miss the remainder of the season when the surgery was announced, the news is surprising. "I've never seen a player come back near this quickly from such a surgery, but MWP isn't normal," Mike Trudell of Lakers.com said.

With the team looking at an uphill battle towards the No. 8 seed in the West, his return is a major boost.

L.A. is currently 40-37 this season, a half-game behind the Utah Jazz for the final playoff seed. The Jazz hold the tiebreaker in the standings after winning the season series, so Los Angeles will need some help to get into the postseason. The early return of World Peace certainly helps.