Latest news with #RonArtest
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"I told my agent I want to go to Greece, I really didn't want to play with anybody" - Ron Artest admits he almost left the NBA before signing with Lakers
"I told my agent I want to go to Greece, I really didn't want to play with anybody" - Ron Artest admits he almost left the NBA before signing with Lakers originally appeared on Basketball Network. After losing the 2008 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers were waiting for a rematch the following year. And while they made it out of the West, they faced the Orlando Magic in the 2009 Finals, beating them 4-1 in the series. However, they still had some unfinished business with the Celtics. Phil Jackson, the visionary he is, sensed that the Lakers and Celtics could meet again the next season, so thinking ahead, he did everything to bring one of the league's best forward defenders at the time, Ron Artest — today known as Metta Sandiford-Artest — counting on Kobe Bryant needing help guarding Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the perimeter. Jackson's wish came true, but things didn't go that smoothly for the Lakers, as Artest himself confirmed on Byron Scott's "Fast Break" podcast. Artest was initially unwilling to leave the Houston Rockets, preferring to play against stars like Bryant, Tracy McGrady and LeBron James rather than teaming up with them. But after the Rockets told him they wouldn't keep him long-term, he felt lost. "I told my agent I want to go to Greece, I really didn't want to play with anybody. The Greece team was like, no way Ron Artest wants to come here, and I was like, yo, give me an interview," Artest recalled. "So one night I was out in L.A. and my agent called me like, 'Yo, Lakers want you.' So we went up to meet with Dr. Buss and he said we're not going to be able to pay you what you're worth, but he said he would like to have me there. History then started replaying in my mind. Yo, I love Kobe, he's like MJ to me. Phil is Phil. Lamar reminds me of Kukoc and I'm like, this is crazy — the Bulls were my favorite team when I was a kid. I didn't care about the money, I just said yes," he became a champion Artest was a star when he joined the Lakers. But he never came close to winning it all. Aware playing alongside Bryant was his best chance to win the Larry O'Brien, he no longer cared about his individual numbers. All he cared about was adjusting perfectly to his new team. "As long as we win, that's the main thing — as long as we win. That's it," Artest told reporters 17 games into his Lakers tenure. "It don't matter what the stat is; it don't matter if you're averaging 30, I'm averaging two, what matters is that you're winning." Everything after that is history. Months later, the Lakers found themselves in the NBA Finals against the Celtics in 2010 after beating the Phoenix Suns, led by two-time MVP Steve Nash, in the Western Conference finals. In Game 5 of that series, Artest grabbed an offensive rebound and scored the game-winning buzzer-beater. He then sealed the Suns' fate with 26 points in Game 6 and entered his first NBA Finals, where he faced Doc Rivers' superteam. The championship series went to Game 7, where he hit a crucial shot down the stretch. He finished the night with 20 points, helping the Lakers secure an 83-79 victory. A key part of the Lakers' success Although Artest played great on offense throughout the series, his main task was on the other side of the floor. Bryant and Artest alternated guarding the Celtics' superstars, somewhat limiting their production. Pierce averaged just 18.0 points on 43.7 percent shooting and 32.1 percent from three in seven games. Allen averaged 14.6 points on 36.7 percent shooting and 29.3 percent from long range. If Bryant and Odom were Jordan and Kukoc of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, then Artest was definitely the Lakers' Dennis Rodman. And yet, he almost never took his talents to story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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. Advertisement 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." Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James recalls being locked down in his rookie year by Ron Artest: "Okay, this is what the league is about"
LeBron James recalls being locked down in his rookie year by Ron Artest: "Okay, this is what the league is about" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Having played 22 seasons in the NBA, LeBron James has faced every type of defender and defensive scheme in the game. With him at the top of every opposing team's scouting report, it was almost impossible for King James to be caught off guard. But there was one defender who stood out from the rest and taught him a valuable lesson about what defense in the Association was all about: Ron Artest. Advertisement Addressing a question posed to him and Steve Nash on the "Mind The Game" podcast, James discussed why the man now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest challenged him in ways few defenders could. The fiercest defender of that era LBJ entered the NBA during the 2003-2004 season, which coincidentally was the same season that Metta won his first and only Defensive Player of the Year award. That meant that the bull-strong 6'7" small forward was at the peak of his powers defensively, taking on the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce with the fearlessness of a lion stalking prey on the savannah. Not only did LeBron witness this, but he felt it firsthand in his fifth game as a pro. Advertisement "Oh my goodness, really good with his hands. Laterally, he was really good. Strong as an ox. I played against him during my early years when he was still in Indiana. I mean, it was challenging, for sure. He was one of the best defenders I've probably ever played against," the four-time MVP remarked. In that game, played at the Conseco Fieldhouse on November 7, 2003, LeBron finished with 23 points, five rebounds and three assists. However, he also committed an eye-watering seven turnovers, thanks to Artest's defensive prowess. The experience was an eye-opener for young Bron. "Ron definitely had you thinking, 'Okay, this is what the league is about.' It forces you to lock in. It was one hell of a test for me, especially as an 18-year-old kid straight out of high school. Going against someone like that, with a target on your back, it felt like, 'Okay, yeah, I love this. This is awesome,'" the four-time champ commented. Related: "I can't get so close to it, too, because of my competitive nature" - Michael Jordan on why he can't get himself to be a fan of any one player in the NBA Nash talks about Kidd's prowess as a defender Nash's best years came during the early 2000s when he helmed the high-powered offense of the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns. It was also a time when big men consistently won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Save for Artest, every DPOY trophy from 2000 to 2010 went to a power forward or center. Advertisement "When you go back to my era and the early parts of your career. The game was different then. When you talked about defenders, you typically thought about rim protectors. Tim Duncan, for example, had an incredible feel for space and the ability to block shots. KG had that versatility to him as well and was also an incredible communicator," Nash stated. However, Steve, a two-time MVP, noted that one player who is often overlooked in conversations about defensive ability is Jason Kidd. "I remember one time during a game — late in the game — we were trying to press. The other team was taking the ball out of bounds, and there were guys positioned 10 to 12 feet on either side of him. One of the guys kind of made a move one direction, and Jason faked and threw the pass the opposite way," Steve narrated. "He picked it off. I remember thinking, 'Rewind that.' I was on the court watching it happen, and I'm wondering how he pulled that off. He had the guy leaning, baited the pass, and then stole it." The early 2000s were an era marked by incredible defense, as shown by defensive-minded teams like the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. It wasn't by any means pretty, but it produced the necessary results. Advertisement Related: "Me personally, wanted to see the Golden State again" - LeBron James admitted he was only waiting to battle it out against the Warriors in 2016 This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James Names One of the Best NBA Defenders He Ever Faced Without Hesitation
LeBron James Names One of the Best NBA Defenders He Ever Faced Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports. LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003 straight out of high school. The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the loaded 2003 NBA Draft, which featured future Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Advertisement James has played for the Cavaliers (twice), Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has won four MVPs, four championships, four Finals MVPs, one scoring title and one assists title. 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 playing 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. LeBron James gave Ron Artest his flowers. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images 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. Advertisement "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." 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 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. Related: LeBron James Urged to Make 'Substantial Sacrifice' for Lakers Next Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kobe Bryant's Former Teammate Sends Message to LeBron James on Tuesday
Kobe Bryant's Former Teammate Sends Message to LeBron James on Tuesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On the latest "Mind the Game" episode, a fan asked Hall of Famer Steve Nash and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James who the greatest defensive players they faced were. Advertisement James answered first and 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." Artest heard James' praise of him, as the 2004 NBA Defensive Player of the Year took to social media to thank The King. In 991 NBA games with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Lakers and New York Knicks, Artest averaged 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.5 blocks. Advertisement The forward made four All-Defensive Teams during his 17-year career. Artest was teammates with the late great Kobe Bryant on the Lakers. The two players helped Los Angeles win the 2010 title against the Boston Celtics in seven games. Bryant captured his fifth championship and second Finals MVP, while Artest won his first ring. LeBron James got a message from Ron Artest. © Soobum Im-Imagn Images Artest's final NBA season was in 2016-17 with the Lakers, the franchise James currently plays for. The leading scorer of all time won his fourth championship and fourth Finals MVP with Los Angeles in 2020. Bryant tragically passed away in January 2020 in a helicopter crash. Both of his numbers (8, 24) are retired by the Lakers. Advertisement Related: LeBron James Urged to Make 'Substantial Sacrifice' for Lakers Next Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
