Latest news with #MettaWorldPeace
Yahoo
5 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Draymond Green wants Metta World Peace to get Knicks coaching job
The post Why Draymond Green wants Metta World Peace to get Knicks coaching job appeared first on ClutchPoints. Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green publicly backed Metta Sandiford-Artest, also known as Metta World Peace, for the New York Knicks' vacant head coaching position during a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show. Green's endorsement came in response to the Knicks' decision to part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau last Tuesday following their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers. Advertisement Green emphasized the importance of player respect and championship experience in any potential coaching hire, pointing to Sandiford-Artest's credibility among current and former players. 'When I look at the Knicks and I take a step back, I'm like, yo, they have to have someone as the coach that is respected amongst the players that they play, but that's also respected amongst the players that they have on their team or they're going to make a big mistake,' Green said. 'So when I look at it, and I'll be honest with you, when you threw your name in the hat I'm like, I never knew Metta was going to coach. But when I look at their situation they need someone like you.' Draymond Green pushes Metta Sandiford-Artest for Knicks coaching job Sandiford-Artest responded by highlighting his commitment to coaching at the grassroots level, even without compensation. Advertisement 'I couldn't get an interview from my alma mater, but what I did do was coaching,' he said. 'I wasn't just sitting home waiting. I was coaching and you're talking about 6:00 AM practices. So what time am I up everyday? At 5:00 AM. That's way harder… to not get paid as a volunteer coach, taking the job serious. And we don't have a budget at Division Two basketball. We got to go on Southwest, I'm on Southwest, we driving vans and we get it out. This is for six years, this is what people don't realize.' Green further argued that the next coach should carry the weight of championship pedigree, something he and Sandiford-Artest both possess. 'When people have never won a championship they don't understand the value of that thing,' Green said, 'which is how important it is that the people that walk past your bench have respect for your bench.' The Knicks have yet to name a replacement for Thibodeau, who coached the team for five seasons, compiling a 226–174 regular-season record. As the franchise continues its search, Sandiford-Artest's name — alongside others floated by analysts — remains a bold and unconventional option. Related: Jalen Brunson gets brutally honest on Tom Thibodeau after Knicks firing Related: Knicks rumors: Brian Windhorst insists Kevin Durant 'definitely' interested in trade
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
NBA Canada hosts watch party for Game 2 in downtown Calgary
There's a watch party for Game 2 of the NBA Finals hosted by NBA Canada Sunday night at Rooftop YYC, 414 3rd Street SW in downtown Calgary If ever there was an NBA Finals to watch from Canada, it's this year's, and that's exactly what Calgary hoops lovers can experience Sunday night. NBA Canada is hosting the final night of a four-night stand in Calgary, with a viewing party at The Rooftop YYC downtown, where the main attraction will be Game 2 of the finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. It's the final night in Calgary, after hosting a viewing party of Game 1 Thursday and a WNBA viewing party featuring the Indiana Fever Saturday night. They bill it as 'an immersive basketball experience,' featuring former NBA players Metta World Peace and NBA Canada executive Cheryl Sebastian. World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) played in some pretty huge games in his long NBA career, including Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals when he scored 20 points in 46 minutes to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Championship. Metta World Peace In this March 5, 2013, file photo, Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (15) drives around Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant during an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) This year's Finals featured three Canadian starters in Game 1, including OKC's 2025 NBA MVP Shay Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, and Indiana's Andrew Nembhard. The Pacers' Benedict Mathurin is also Canadian -- and they're anchored by Pascal Siakam, who was a key member of the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Metta Peace will be engaging with fans, participating in 'basketball activations' and there will be photo opportunities for fans including a chance to see the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. For more about NBA House, go here.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Metta Saniford-Artest took to social media to praise the Pacers.
Metta Saniford-Artest took to social media to praise the Pacers. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers, despite not making the NBA Finals since 2000, have been a fixture of the playoffs more seasons than not. Advertisement Against the New York Knicks, the Pacers finally broke through and will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first championship appearance in a quarter of a century. Since 2000, the Pacers have had more than their fair share of talent, although the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics kept them from making the Finals. In the early 2000s, after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in their lone Finals appearance, the Pacers assembled one of the best rosters in team history, although the Malice at the Palace in 2004 helped dismantle that roster and their title hopes. A central figure, Metta Saniford-Artest (aka Metta World Peace, Ron Artest), took to social media to celebrate his former team finally making it back to the Finals. Saniford-Artest was not on the 2000 Pacers' team, although he won Defensive Player of the Year in Indiana in 2004 and went on four playoff runs during his Pacers tenure. Advertisement While playing in Indiana, he was very productive, averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals. After serving multiple suspensions from the league, the Pacers traded him to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojaković and he would later go on to win a title next to Kobe Bryant on the Lakers in 2010 After retiring, he has re-found his Pacers fandom and spent time coaching in the G League and playing in IceCube's Big3 league. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Selfless Indiana Pacers Not Exempt From 'Face of the League' Debate Related: Rick Carlisle Offers Brutal Indiana Pacers Injury Update This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
