As the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics prepare to renew basketball's most storied rivalry Saturday night (March 8, 8:30 PM ET, ABC), few can speak to the intensity and significance of this matchup better than NBA legend Metta Sandiford-Artest, himself a major reason the Lakers were able to beat the Celtics in the 2010 Finals and raise championship banner No. 16 to the rafters of what was then known as Staples Center. Famous for his lockdown defense, vibrant personality, and unforgettable moments on and off the court (and one in the stands), the Queens native formerly known as Ron Artest and Metta World Peace sat down with BET for an exclusive conversation about Luka Dončić's impact on the Lakers, merging last names with his wife, wearing a Knicks jersey under his suit to the Draft, underrated players, USA vs. The World, Bronny James, why ex-players are hard on the current players, the All-Star Game, and whether World Peace in today’s world is still possible.

[This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.]

BET: What do you think about this Saturday’s Celtics/Lakers matchup? What would you say this rivalry means for the NBA?
Metta: You know it is great. I remember when I was a Laker I didn't even understand the rivalry. Just playing against Boston—I just was thinking about winning the title. You don't realize it until you win it that, “Oh, wow, I was in a big rivalry.” But yeah, the biggest rivalry in sports probably and even the regular season games feel like heat.

BET: What would you say is different about this Luka Dončić version of the Lakers?
Metta: I don't know what's different—I think he's playing the same way—he’s just getting better. He definitely has the best team he's ever been on, that's for sure. This is the best team that [Luka’s] ever been on. And it's opening up the floor for everybody—everybody's gonna have an easier time. Obviously, the load of the offensive productivity is gonna go to the two big stars so some people is not gonna shine as they as they should, but there's gonna be a lot of moments where you'll see players pick up the slack. This team is really good. This team got real shooters. There’s nothing manufactured—this team got real players. 

BET: I know you're a proud New Yorker—shout of the Queens—but you're also a Lakers legend. With all respect to the Thunder, Celtics, and Cavs, if the Finals ended up being Knicks vs. Lakers, who would you be rooting for? 
Metta: You know, I'm a Pacer guy. The Pacers, that's the one team where when there was drama they was there, so I'm Pacers guy and everybody knows that. But I'm also a Lakers guy and love the Knicks, like I grew up loving the Knicks. It was such an honor to put on that jersey. So I will probably have a Laker hat on and then like a Knicks t-shirt or something like that, you know? I'll just enjoy it probably more than anything because I'm from the streets of New York City. I had a Knick jersey on at the draft and I was gonna take off my suit top and then show my jersey on stage with David Stern! 

But, you know, some executives—some Einstein executives—didn't just do the obvious [and draft] the defensive player of the year. So that didn't happen but I still love the Knicks. I love the Lakers, too, like with the Lakers they turned my career around. They breathed life back into why I started playing the game of basketball.

BET: So you obviously played with Kobe, you've played against LeBron, and you started in Chicago right after Jordan retired. Everyone knows those guys. Who are some players that you played against that were underrated or unfairly rated?
Metta: I mean, I think it's vague but it's a great question. Because Tim Duncan is not being taken in consideration of being a top-five player all time, you know? It’s different levels to it, but for Tim Duncan—he's arguably top 10. If you're gonna put my brother Kobe as top 10, how are you not gonna put Tim Duncan? Right?

Then you got a guy—like Trenton Hassell was one of the greatest wing defenders that ever played this game. Trenton Hassell, wow, such a great defender. We know Rod Strickland didn't make an All-Star game, which is kind of wild. You know, Elton Brand is incredible. I think he doesn't get—I mean he's a general manager of a team so, I mean, he's still making bank [Laughs], but I don't think his game gets enough credit. I think people forget how good Elton Brand was. 

BET: Interesting. That's a good name to bring up because he made All-Star teams but he's not somebody that comes to mind immediately like, “Oh yeah, he was dope.” 
Metta: People forget about how dominant he was. Elton Brand was dominant, but he was never on good teams. He was never on teams that had players. You know he was with the Clippers for a long time. 

BET: And you know how that goes. 
Metta: That’s my guy, Elton. I think Jamison Brewer never got an opportunity, Jamison Brewer was going to be one of the best point guards in the league and it’s just sad that people wasn't able to see Jamison Brewer. This kid was really, really incredible.

BET: You've obviously been outspoken and have done a lot of work regarding mental health and athlete mental health. You sort of split your career between the non-social media era and into the social media era. How do you think social media generally is impacting the game and players today? 
Metta: Eh, I think—social media is just about scale, so sometimes you should get that you're just another stat. If I was around with social media when I was in my prime I think I would've been all over it doing stuff that was very unprofessional. So you just gotta be careful. It creates eyeballs on you but it doesn’t make you. Sometimes people forget that. You might have said something really cool or wore a really good outfit but that doesn't make you. If that makes sense.

BET: You’ve obviously changed your name a few times. It was 2020 when you changed it to Metta Sandiford-Artest—hyphenating your last name with your wife’s. I'm curious how you came to that decision. 
Metta: Well, for me my first relationship started at 15 and 16 years old and I didn’t understand. But now that I look at what women go through, I think the more that you can be a partner or in partnership with a woman or your significant other—I think that's better. I really embrace it and I think it's super important.

BET: You've always seemed to be someone who celebrates the younger players—like recently you defended Bronny [James] against folks saying he was underachieving—
Metta: Bronny’s nice. They trippin’. Bronny’s nice.

BET: There’s just been a lot of talk about ex-NBA players being harder on the current generation and the current style than maybe legends of other sports. Do you think that's true? Would you tell older players they should back off or be more congratulatory to the current generation? 
Metta: I mean, honestly, I think they want to compete. When I retired, I still wanted to compete. When I see a [game], I wanna play. I don’t wanna watch. It takes you a while to get over that. So, if you see somebody on the court—yeah, I can't do what you can do but I wanna play against you even if you give me 30. It takes a little while for retired players to get over that. And then, also, the game changes, so when a retired player leaves and he sees the game changing they're like, “Okay, this is not the game that I once played.” 

Today's game, you know, I think there’s too much traveling. I don't understand, like, how the traveling is not getting called. But I am appreciative [because] from the era of, like, 2014 until 2018, I thought the players wasn't working hard collectively. The bodies wasn't in shape. But now, if you look at the players’ bodies, it’s different. It’s a lot of great athletes [in today’s game]. So now you can tell they're taking the game serious. So maybe former players, we're forgetting that this is not 2015 to 2018 or 2019. I think the players heard us because they're working harder now. 

In terms of the rule changes, you know, I think we need to not cater to the players and they need to cater to the rules. Because then you'll get the best of the best. There were a lot of times where a really good offensive player didn't make it to the NBA because all they could do is score. It left room for guys like Bo Outlaw to play because he can do other things other than score. It left room for guys like Ben Wallace to be a Hall of Famer and I think that's the DNA we need. Like, if you're ready, you're ready. And only the strong survive. And sometimes I think a lot of the strong is not even getting an opportunity. 

I mean the money is bigger, but the viewership was down at one point. I'm not sure how it's going now. But the money is growing because of the marketing and the really robust and complex digital strategies. But in terms of the masses—how can we get the masses back watching and be proud of our game? And I think we just gotta have the players adjust to the game that we all know, which is an American basketball game. We're happy to have foreigners in the game, I think it's exciting, but this is an American basketball game. I love other countries and I actually wanna live in other countries—I actually am gonna move to another country at some point—but this is an American game and needs to stay an American game.

BET: I remember when I was younger, the knock on European players was that they were soft and that they can't take the American game. But watching the Olympics—some of the best, most high-level basketball I've seen—the rules in FIBA are rough and feel a little bit like that '90s game. It’s funny how things have switched.
Metta: Yeah, I'm a fan of just, like, let it happen. Are you ready or are you not? You can't complain and then change the rules. They had to change the rules for Shaq—Shaq is different. Wilt Chamberlain you had to change the rules. But Michael Jordan never asked to change the rules. Either you’re ready or you’re not. And now the agents are changing the rules—the agents are complaining for the players! 

I think if you look at the All-Star game this year, I was really excited about it because I wasn't happy about last year in Indiana. This year, a few people was complaining, but I thought the game was great. It was competitive. And if that’s what it takes for the game to be competitive, let's go. Let's keep going because it was a great game. 

BET: There were a number of formats they could’ve chosen—they could’ve done USA versus The World if they wanted to—
Metta: I don't wanna do that game because I don't want to lose [Laughs].

BET: Yeah, they probably don't want that. 
Metta: Also, if you don't wanna play, just don't come. 

BET: Enjoy your weekend. 
Metta: Right? Like if you don't wanna play, just don't come. Just say, “I don't wanna be an All-Star.” Somebody else can do it. 

BET:  Last question. I spoke to you in 2016 for a quick interview like this—almost 10 years ago at this point. I asked you a question then, when your name was Metta World Peace, whether you thought world peace was possible. Nine years later I figure I’ll the same thing. Little different world right now, but do you think world peace is still possible? 
Metta: One hundred percent. We’re gonna make it happen. It’s gonna happen. That’s it. No way around it. Ain't no other way around it. There’s no Plan B. No Plan B.