During his storied 20-year career, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has played alongside some unique players. Certainly, Shaquille O’Neal is at the top of this list, but there’s another player who caught people’s attention. It has been six years since the player retired. However, recently, he gave an intriguing update on Twitter. It is none other than Metta Sandiford-Artest.

It is important for an athlete to maintain their health even after retirement. So after years of negligence, the former NBA player has now decided to focus on his workout. Before that, he had something to share with the fans.

Is Metta Sandiford returning to the basketball court?

Metta Sandiford-Artest was known for his style of aggressive game. He played 19 seasons in the league. During his career, he has played for 6 NBA teams. While Artest might be best known for his on-court controversies, his skills were also remarkable. Now, as he returned to his usual routine, he managed to sprinkle the same energy among his fans and Twitter followers. 

Taking to his Instagram, he shared a picture of himself and wrote, “Took me awhile to get down from 330lbs. I was on my computer just working and forgot to workout. Lol Well, I’m back . I might enter the draft the next year.”

When it comes to appreciating people and standing up for important causes, the athlete is one of the most reliable personalities in the league. While Artest might not be drafted this year, he certainly intrigued fans with his comment. He was drafted in 1991. But it was not until 2010 that he won his first NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant.

How Kobe Bryant inspired Metta Sandiford-Artest

It is hard to name a player who was not influenced by the legend. The same thing could be said about Artest. While the two had great team spirit and companionship on the court, they were good friends off-court as well. 

READ MORE: In $192,000,000,000-Worth Company Collab, Dwyane Wade Set to Share His Anecdotes 4 Months After Major Legal Victory

The Lakers legend even made an appearance in his teammate’s documentary. It was titled “Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story,” which beautifully managed to chronicle Artest’s story. In one of the clips from the show, Bryant spoke about how he pushed the player to stay in shape and maintain his physique. 

He noted, “Your name is Metta World Peace right?’ And he said, ‘Yeah!’ I said, ‘How do you think peace is accomplished?’ He goes, ‘I don’t know!’ I said, ‘Through war! Win the war and then you have peace. Got it? Alright!’”

It seems that Bryant’s words had a great impact on him. Not only did Artest win the championship following that exchange, he still likes to follow his advice. What are your thoughts about Artest finding the motivation to maitain his physical health? Tell us in the comments.

WATCH THIS STORY:  9 Years After Father Shaquille O’Neal’s Promise to Dana White, Millionaire Son Myles O’Neal Set for UFC Debut of a Different Kind