There is something more peculiar than Metta World Peace's plan to change his name again - Metta World Peace shoes.

The former Laker recently joined the Chinese Basketball Association, signing a one-year deal with the Sichuan Blue Whales. The deal is reportedly worth $1.43 million. Previously in August 2014, the small forward teased fans that he will be changing his name again to "The Panda's Friend", in honor of the panda bears that reside in the province of Sichuan.

In a report by Qz.com, new Metta World Peace shoes, featuring a stuffed panda, were introduced to Chinese fans. The brand of the white pair was not revealed, but Metta indicated that the shoes were also available in black and can be bought via his website, Mettaworldpeace.com.

Some fans speculated that the star would detach the stuffed panda from his shoes before each game and toss it to the crowd as a friendly gesture.

According to Deadspin.com, Metta told Courtside Access, "Before every game, I will be wearing the white or black shoes. The top part of the shoe has a panda on it. I will be throwing it to a friend in the crowd. The person who catches it will be the Panda's Friend of the day." Later, however, Metta said that the stuffed toy is not detachable from the sneakers.

Photos of the black and white versions circulated on Twitter and other social media sites, sparking the interest of fans from all over the globe. Reportedly, the unique basketball shoes were intended to increase Metta's popularity among Chinese fans. Basketball is quickly becoming one of the country's favorite sports. Although Metta has been getting a lot of attention from local fans lately, his status is not yet as large as other NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Jeremy Lin.

Locally, the Metta World Peace shoes have been getting mixed reviews. Some described these as "drunk" and "Payless shoes with a Panda head".