"I think Jordan was a little bit better than those guys" - Metta Sandiford-Artest makes his choice between LeBron, Kobe and Jordan

Metta Sandiford-Artest was one of few players in league history who had the opportunity to guard the holy trio of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan during his career.

It's a rare feather in the cap, especially as a defensive specialist. The former All-NBA defender believes the biggest differentiator between Kobe and Jordan, in particular, is the strength MJ had and that the Bulls legend edges out the other two superstars overall.

Making an appearance on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe, Sandiford-Artest articulated the main difference he felt when guarding Jordan compared to the Black Mamba.

"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," he said.

The best of the bunch

Naturally, the conversation compared the trio as players and who was toughest to guard on the floor. While Metta acknowledged that everyone would have their own opinion, he gave nod to MJ as the one who had given him the most trouble.

"I was like, 'wow, this is crazy.' But I did have some good games against LeBron 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.

An unfair comparison

It's completely understandable as to why fans are hell-bent on comparing Kobe, LeBron and Jordan, especially given the trio have some of the most passionate fans in the NBA community, but the reality is that stacking them up against each other is unjust when considering the eras they played in.

For one, the superstars played under different rules and completely different situations in the Association. Although there was crossover between Kobe and MJ and Kobe and LeBron, there is a very clear distinction between the eras they all suited up in.

Along with the changes in the league's overall landscape, everything from the front offices to the ability to construct rosters is different, making it almost impossible to judge what each legend achieved in their career due to factors outside of their control.

Of course, purely as players and what they're able to do on the floor, fans can look through one lens and make assumptions about who may be tougher to guard.

Even still, unless you're out there trying to slow them down we can only speculate. Still, for Sandiford-Artest , he got to experience it, and picking MJ out of the three seems like a safe bet from where I'm sitting.

Related: ”If LeBron did what MJ did that early, maybe LeBron gets tired also” - Metta Sandiford-Artest compares LeBron and Michael Jordan late in their careers