Former DPOY Breaks Down How He Guarded Young LeBron James After Strong Comments
Former DPOY Breaks Down How He Guarded Young LeBron James After Strong Comments originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. James entered the NBA straight out of high school and averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists as a rookie.
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A top 75 player of all time, James is the leading scorer in NBA history. He has scored the most points in the regular season and postseason despite being guarded by some elite defenders.
On the latest "Mind the Game" episode with Steve Nash, a fan asked James and Nash who the greatest defensive players they faced were. James, 40, went with Ron Artest, who is now known as Metta World Peace.
"Ron Artest was, you know, Metta World Peace now, oh my goodness, really good with his hands," James said. "Latterly was really good. Strong as an ox. You know, I played against him my early years when he was in Indiana.
"I mean, you know, it was challenging, you know, for sure. You know, it was one of the best defenders probably I've played against."
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Artest saw James' quote about him and sent a message to The King. The "Mind the Game" podcast X account posted Artest's message, where the former NBA forward broke down how he guarded James when he was younger.
Artest won the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year Award with the Indiana Pacers. He made four All-Defensive Teams during his 17-year career.
A one-time All-Star, Artest played for the Chicago Bulls, Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Lakers (twice) and New York Knicks. He helped Los Angeles with the 2010 championship against the Boston Celtics.
In 991 NBA games, Artest averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.5 blocks.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the oldest active player in the NBA. © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
James, 40, is the oldest active player in the league. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists for the Lakers this season.
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The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP made the All-NBA Second Team.
A future Hall of Famer, James is the only player in NBA history to rank top five all-time in points and assists. He is arguably the most versatile player of all time.
Related: Former NBA Exec Reveals 'Most Amazing Thing' About LeBron James
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
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