Metta World Peace had an unusual explanation for his ability to return to the court just 12 days after knee surgery.

"Well, you know, I'm just too sexy for my cat," he said in a televised post-game interview following the Lakers' 104-96 victory over the Hornets at the Staples Center on Tuesday night. "I'm too sexy for my cat. My cat. I'm just too sexy for my cat. If I wasn't as sexy for my cat, I probably wouldn't have came back. I'm so sexy, I came back. Too sexy for my cat, too sexy to wear a sleeve or a bracelet [on my knee], so I had to come back. I felt sexy, I felt like my team was working, I felt like we wanted it. We just wanted to come together collectively. Play hard, do it together. ... I'm definitely too sexy for my cat, definitely, we know that. I'm also too tough to let a meniscus surgery keep me out for six weeks. I'm too sexy for the cat."

If you're counting, that's 10 uses of "sexy" and eight uses of "cat" in roughly two minutes.

World Peace played 15 minutes in a reserve role against the Hornets in his first action since Mar. 25, scoring four points (on one-for-three shooting) and dishing one assist.

The Lakers moved back into the Western Conference's No. 8 playoff position with the win over the Hornets and the Jazz's loss to the Thunder. L.A., now 41-37, leads Utah, 41-38, by just a half-game with four games remaining. Click here for a full breakdown of the race for the final playoff spot in the West.

Video via YouTube user CaCHooKaManTV