“Michael Jordan sat out 3 months and came back averaging 25”: Former NBA champion Metta Sandiford-Artest narrates a shocking incident about the Bulls legend

During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Metta Sandiford-Artest narrated an inspiring story of a 35-year old Michael Jordan.

Michael Jordan’s legacy comprises his decorated career and the interesting storylines that surround it. The Bulls legend not only inspired us with his on-court greatness but also with his behind-the-scenes narratives.

Whether it’s the Pistons rivalry or the flu game, MJ has always been able to galvanize millions of people watching him. One such story revolves around the time when the 6x NBA champion played for the Washington Wizards.

While appearing on the Shannon Sharpe podcast, former NBA champion Metta Sandiford-Artest narrated his MJ story that became front-page news at the time.

In 2001 during a regular-season game, Artest accidentally broke a few ribs of the 35-year old Jordan. That kept the 10x scoring champion out of the game for a couple of months.

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In the coming years, Artest would narrate the following story on several occasions. Artest, who was only 19-years old at the time, was taken back by the incident as he had grown up watching and idolizing the Bulls legend.

Metta Sandiford-Artest spoke about the fateful night in detail on the Club Shay Shay podcast

While divulging details about the incident Artest said, “What happened was, we was in a game, and MJ asked me to come back because I was 19 years old but really competitive. He was like guard me, guard me. I was still really strong.” said the 41-year old

He further added,

“At that time, MJ was killing. When I broke his ribs, he sat out three months came back averaging 25. And I was telling people, if it wasn’t for those three months off, he was 35. He was killin em. And you talkin about all-stars in the gym. That was one year after he retired. And he was cooking.”

The former Lakers player spoke about the difficulty guarding MJ and how strong he was, “So when I was guarding MJ, I was just like, I can’t let him get the ball. He’s so strong, he holds you, so I saw I’m like, I can’t let him get the ball. Get yo arms out the f*in way. And my elbow hit him in the ribs.”

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Despite being out of the game for almost 2 decades, MJ’s stories are always a treat to hear. The 6x Finals MVP had a larger-than-life personality that was not limited to the NBA hardwood only.