LeBron James reveals the toughest defender he ever played against

It’s easy for most casual fans to forget certain professional athletes once their time in the spotlight is up. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good or great they were at a certain point, once they retire for whatever reason, we all move on to the next big thing. LeBron James recently gave props to a player from the 2000s that often gets overlooked for how good he really was, especially defensively.

Metta Saniford-Artest/World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, was one of the premieres on-ball defenders of the 00s in the NBA, known for his physicality and impeccable footwork.

“One of the best defenders I’ve played against… Really good with his hands, laterally was really good, strong as an ox. It was challenging for sure.”

Ron Artest had all the tools to compete with LeBron James

No one should be shocked at James giving it up to Artest, since he was just that good. Some of his prime may have been derailed by his reaction to an idiot in Detroit which sparked the “Malice at the Palace,” but by this time in 2004, Artest was viewed as one of the top one or two defenders in the NBA and top 10-15 overall.

James wasn’t lying when he talked about the strength of Artest and how good he was with his hands, when defenders could actually use their hands without having a foul called every play. Playing in the same division while Artest was in Indiana during LeBron’s early days in Cleveland, the two faced off plenty of times.

While Artest’s NBA legacy may be reduced to one lapse of judgment by some, those who know the game like James can separate that one moment, from a career and focus on what Artest contributed to the game of basketball.