"You knew what he was gonna do" - Metta World Peace picks Michael Jordan over LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the toughest player he has ever guarded
Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Metta Sandiford-Artest thinks a 38-year-old Michael Jordan was the toughest player he ever had to guard. Jordan shocked the world in 2001 when he came back from retirement for the second time, and signed with the Washington Wizards.
In an appearance on the "Bootleg Kev" podcast, Sandiford-Artest was asked about which player gave him the toughest time during his career. The former NBA champion revealed that Jordan, then playing for the Wizards, was the toughest to guard. He picked the legend ahead of Kobe Bryant in his prime and a young LeBron James.
"I think Jordan was the toughest, man. The first year was his Jordan, not his last year. The first two and a half seasons with the Wizards...that first year he came back, he averaging 25," Sandiford-Artest said.
"The thing about Jordan was, you knew what he was gonna do. He's gone get you, and he's gonna pull up. Go left, pull up. He's gonna fade right. You knew it was coming. When I first started guarding LeBron, I didn't know what he was gonna do."
"He was quite successful, but it was still like, it wasn't as predictable. Which made it a little harder. But Jordan, I knew exactly what he was gonna do and Kobe was pretty difficult, too," Sandiford-Artest added.
In his first season with the Wizards, Michael Jordan averaged 22.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Jordan was limited to just 60 games due to a couple of knee injuries. 'His Airness' played all 82 games in his final season, averaging a career-low 20.0 points per outing.
At 38, Jordan could still do things that made him dominant. However, the wear and tear on his body was too much, as he failed to lead the Wizards to the playoffs.
He retired at the end of the 2002-03 NBA season, becoming the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets in 2010.
Michael Jordan scored his 30,000th point over Metta Sandiford-Artest
Michael Jordan scored his 30,000th point in a game against the Chicago Bulls in the 2001-02 NBA season. At the time, Metta Sandiford-Artest was playing for the Bulls, and was Jordan's primary defender.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2002, Jordan expressed his admiration for the young Artest, who was a first-round pick by the Bulls in 1999. Jordan was retired back then, but was much involved with Chicago's young players such as Artest and Jamal Crawford.
"I love Ron Artest. He's got so much intensity and such drive. I wish I could have played against him six years ago," Jordan said.
In the summer of 2001, before Jordan signed with the Wizards, Sandiford-Artest famously broke the GOAT.'s ribs.
Michael Jordan.
Ron Artest.
A broken rib.
And a 16-year-old @KingJames.
@MettaWorld37 shares the story with @AllenSliwa. Listen to The Sliwa Show now on 710 AM ESPN bit.ly/ListenLA https://t.co/rdIYkIvu8g
It happened during a practice game, but the rumor back then said that it was because they got into a fight.