The 2003-04 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Metta Sandiford-Artest, formerly known as Ron Artest and also as Metta World Peace, has been a special character in NBA history. Sandiford-Artest, whose basketball career included stories ranging from almost moving to Greece to joining the Los Angeles Lakers, opened up about how he let go of a massive paycheck because he wanted to play with Kobe Bryant.
A man whose career spanned 18 years, featuring 13,058 points and 4,448 rebounds, lit up the court for the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, among others. The Pacers would have loved to have him on board for Game 7 of this year’s NBA Finals, with the series tied after Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Metta Sandiford-Artest Reveals How He Let Go of a Massive Check Because Kobe Bryant Was His Priority
In an interview with Patrick Bet-David on the “PBD” Podcast, Sandiford-Artest shared a story about signing with the Lakers at a discount. In the summer of 2009, Sandiford-Artest was a free agent and received an unexpected phone call the moment free agency began at 12:01 a.m., right after his contract with the Houston Rockets ended.
Sandiford-Artest revealed, “I met with Dr. Buss the next morning, and he was like, ‘You know, I’m sorry, I’m not going to be able to pay you what you’re worth. But we really want you on this team.’ That was his opening line. I said, ‘Damn, Dr. Buss, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant. I love Kobe Bryant.’”
He added, “Just me and Buss. We went to the W Hotel. We sat at the bar. We didn’t drink any alcohol. I might have ordered an avocado toast, and that was it. We just talked. Maybe we didn’t order anything. We talked, and that was it. I was like, ‘Yep, just send me the contract, and I’ll sign it.’”
Back then, Sandiford-Artest believed he could’ve commanded a salary between $12 million and $15 million. But the idea of playing for Phil Jackson and with Kobe Bryant was too enticing. The move reflected his deep passion for the game.
Metta Sandiford-Artest Was Almost Headed to Angola Before the Lakers Swooped In
Sandiford-Artest also revealed that he wanted to play in Angola, hoping to bring his game to what he called, “the motherland.” But his calls weren’t returned. He said he even considered heading to Europe out of respect for the players there.
Talking on “Byron Scott’s Fast Break”, World Peace said, “My agent, David B., and I discussed it, and I said, ‘I want to go to Europe. There’s nobody I want to play with.’ I got a call from a few players, some really good players, but I said no. It’s not because I didn’t like them. I just respected them enough to want to compete against them.”
He added, “Then, I tried to go to Angola. I wanted to play in Africa, in the motherland. The people in Angola were like, ‘No way.’ They weren’t taking my call. I was like, ‘How do you not take my call? I just averaged 25 points against the Lakers.’”
Sandiford-Artest left a significant mark on the NBA while playing for teams like the Chicago Bulls. After a stint with the Bulls, he moved to the Indiana Pacers for four years, where he won the 2003-04 Defensive Player of the Year award. He later played for the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, the aforementioned Lakers, and eventually wrapped up his career with the New York Knicks.
