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Kobe Bryant's former teammate Metta Sandiford-Artest appreciates the love from fans who have him as one of the best defenders ever. Sandiford-Artest is mostly known for his wild antics on the court, including the Malice in the Palace back in 2004. However, the one-time NBA champion is a former Defensive Player of the Year and a real lockdown defender for most part of his career.
In a post on X, formerly known on Twitter, Sandiford-Artest showed his gratitude to everyone who called him a top defender. He was proud to be in people's top five or even top 25 defenders list.
"That's wild," Artest wrote. "I'm seeing a range from top 5 to top 25 on my being an all-time great defender. Thanks. Very cool."
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Metta Sandiford-Artest was at his peak as a top defender in the 2000s. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004 as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He was also a two-time All-Defensive First Team member and two-time All-Defensive Second Team member.
Sandiford-Artest's career almost ended due to the Malice in the Palace. He tried to recover his reputation with the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets, but it was when he teamed up with Kobe Bryant that people embraced him once again.
The one-time All-Star was huge for the LA Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. He scored 20 points in Game 7 and hit the dagger from beyond the arc late in the fourth quarter.
Where did Metta Sandiford-Artest rank Kobe Bryant in his Top 5 list?
Metta Sandiford-Artest tried to rile up the internet on Tuesday when he shared his top five players ever. Sandiford-Artest named Bill Russell as his G.O.A.T. followed by Wilt Chamberlain. Kobe Bryant was at No. 3, while Michael Jordan was surprisingly fourth. LeBron James fans won't like the list because he didn't even make the top five.
"Top five nba players ever. 1. Bill Russell 2. Wilt Chamberlain 3. Kobe 4. MJ 5…….. I'm having a hard time with mamba and Kobe. Greatest career ever- KJ," Sandiford-Artest wrote.
It should also be noted that it was not the first time Metta Sandiford-Artest named Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were his top two players ever. Sandiford-Artest previously shared his top five in an appearance on the "I Am Athlete" podcast last year.
"My five, Bill Russell because you can't beat him," Sandiford-Arest said. "He beat Wilt Chamberlain. I got Wilt Chamberlain number two. I just don’t know who could do what he could do. ... I got Kobe. There's someone that I'm missing that's not in my top five because Kobe and LeBron is always like tied at five."
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