"What you talking bout MJ No. 1?" - Metta says Kobe only called him to say he was better than Michael

After playing five seasons with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, Metta Sandiford-Artest , formerly Metta World Peace, got to experience a few unforgettable interactions with the late Lakers legend. One particular instance was when Bryant reached out to him via phone just to break it down why he was better than Michael Jordan.

While that sounds like a typical moment between two teammates, it has to be taken into account that as far back as Sandiford-Artest can remember, it was the only time Kobe called him. Surely, at that point, Metta realized how confident "Black Mamba" was about his game.

"Kobe don't like that, I said that [Jordan is better] one day. I never get a call from Kobe, but my phone was ringing; I said, 'Hold on, wife, baby, I gotta take it. Kobe's calling. I don't know.' [Bryant said] 'Hey yo, what you talkin' bout MJ No. 1?' And he was telling me why he was No. 1. [laughs]," the four-time NBA All-Defensive team selectee recalled on the LADE Podcast.

Metta loved Kobe, but MJ is his GOAT

Sandiford-Artest had the rare opportunity to match up against Jordan , Bryant, and LeBron James . As one of the greatest 1-on-1 defenders of all time, Metta had observed which among the three legendary players gave him the most problems.

In Sandiford-Artest's opinion, MJ had the edge over Kobe and LeBron as he was physically stronger and tougher to guard. He even pointed out that Bryant and James might have scored a lot of points on him during their duels, but he never struggled on the defensive end against them the way he did with "His Airness."

"Jordan is strong. That's the difference between Jordan and Kobe. He is almost as strong as myself and LeBron. Not quite, but right there," Sandiford-Artest once compared .

"… So if I can compare it to LeBron or Kobe, Kobe might've given me 40 once, nobody ever scored 50 on me, LeBron might've had 40, so if I compare that, I think Jordan was a little bit better than those guys. Jordan was special, I was an amazing defender and was like, 'What the hell is going on?'" he added.

Kobe's honest take on the GOAT debate

Like any other elite player on his level, Bryant clearly thought of himself as the greatest during his playing years in the NBA. However, Kobe's perspective on the GOAT debate seemed to have changed after he retired.

For the five-time champ, the GOAT convo is not something that can be definitively settled through debate. Instead, he viewed it as a fluid concept, with greatness being passed on from one generation of players to the next.

Related: “He wanted it a little too much” - Metta World Peace reveals why Kobe Bryant didn’t get his sixth championship