'I'm not going to play against MJ without Jordans' - Metta Sandiford-Artest on wearing Michael Jordan shoes while playing against him

Wearing the superstar's signature shoe, you are playing against is considered a bold move in the basketball world. Some veterans may even frown at this practice as it tells your opponent you are in awe of them. All-Star DeMar DeRozan did this once, shunning his usual Kobe sneakers and wearing Air Jordans when he matched against Bryant in the NBA.

However, Metta Sandiford-Artest (formerly Ron Artest) was one player who didn't mind wearing someone else's signature sneaker. The burly 6'7" forward went to great lengths to secure a pair of Air Jordans before facing off against the legendary Michael Jordan, who was playing for the Washington Wizards during that time.

Wasn't allowed to wear Js

Speaking to Byron Scott on "Byron Scott's Fast Break," Artest remembered how stressed he felt heading to a match-up against "His Airness," especially after learning he wouldn't be allowed to wear Air Jordans since only one player per team could wear them. And on the Pacers, that guy was superstar Reggie Miller.

"The first game I played against him, I was with Nike at the time. They only had one Jordan player at the time—only one person could wear Jordan on the team. I don't know if you remember," Artest shared. "So I said, 'Yo, I'm playing against MJ, I need the Jordans.' I was wearing Nike, but I said, 'I need them Jordans.' They was like, 'Nah, Reggie Miller is wearing the Jordan.'"

Relentless in his desire to have Js on his feet, Metta approached Miller to ask for help. However, Reggie couldn't help him either. The former St. John's stud, though, wouldn't take no for an answer and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Drove to Chicago to get some Air Jordans

For all of Artest's defensive prowess and two-way abilities, he was also known for his many quirks, which included working at Circuit City to take advantage of the 50 percent employee discount. This time around, he got into his vehicle and drove to Chicago for three hours to get his hands on a pair.

"So I drove—after shootaround—drove to Chicago. Two-hour ride, three-hour ride, went to the Nike store, bought some Jordans, then drove back," Artest shared. "Yeah, you'll see Jordans on my feet playing against MJ. I'm not going to play against MJ without Jordans! Y'all crazy, Nike, y'all crazy, man. Send me the Jordans."

Metta's determination to wear Jordans against Mike highlighted his mix of admiration and competitive spirit. Even if the shoes didn’t help him win, they made sure he stepped onto the court ready to face the legend in style.