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'Strong As An Ox': LeBron James Gives Flowers To The Toughest Defender He Ever Faced, Metta World Peace

Originally posted on Fadeaway World
By Chaitanya Dadhwal | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 12:05 PM ET

Most common people will know Metta World Peace a.k.a Ron Artest as the NBA player who helped the Lakers win an NBA championship by hitting the final dagger shot in 2010. But only true NBA fans know that Artest earned his money in the NBA on the defensive end of the floor.

On the latest episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, LeBron James revealed who was the toughest defender he went up against in his NBA career. And ofcourse, his answer was Ron Artest.

“Yeah, Ron Artest,” he said. “Metta World Peace now. Really good with his hands, laterally was really good, strong as an ox. We played a game in my early years when he was in Indiana, I mean, it was challenging for sure. One of the best defenders probably I’ve played against. I had to go straight back to my early days. Ron definitely had you like, OK, this is what the league is about. OK, let's continue to lock in. This is a hell of a test for you as an 18-year-old kid out of high school with a target on your back. I was like, yeah, I love this. This is awesome.”

Ron Artest averaged a defensive rating of 103.4 in his career. It went as low as 96.0 during his time with the Indiana Pacers during the 2003-04 season when he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. James is likely recalling facing Artest in the same season, as it was his rookie year in 2003.

That means for every 100 possessions Artest faced, he on average did not allow more than 104 to be scored while he was on the floor. Which is absolutely elite for any defender in today's NBA. No defensive player of the year award winner in the 2020s has had a defensive rating of less than 100.0 in a season.

Metta World Peace Responds To Major Praise From LeBron James

Following the praises James had for Artest, Metta World Peace took to social media and showed his gratitude to the Lakers superstar. He first posted his initial reaction on X and then posted a video on Instagram.

"Ok. The King @KingJames gave my props. I’m extending my 45-day vacay another 45 days," he wrote on X.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Metta World Peace (@mettaworldpeace37)

“Shout out to the King, King James in the building--- Man, I’ve been giving the King some praise for a long time, even though I’m competitive, shoutout to the King for recognizing my competitiveness. But it was never disrespectful; it was just competitive. You know, like, I always wanted to play against the best--- That’s how I grew up in New York City, cause I wasn’t always able to win these games and different things."

"I was losing early in my days, ten years old, eleven years old. Then I started winning, a lot and I often had to play center, point guard, shooting guard, everything, just to win the game--- When you get to college, if I got to know a certain things about the league and about college, I would’ve been even better--- If I would’ve known different things about the league, I would’ve even been better. Also, if I kept my head on straight, I would’ve been that much better. But to get that compliment, that’s bigger than any trophy that I could get."

“I already know I’m a Hall of Famer, but I appreciate the compliment,” he concluded confidently.

The NBA veteran has been advocating for his name to be considered for coaching the Knicks to make a return to the NBA. While that may not happen, we hope to see him back in the league with the coaching staff of another team, probably.

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

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