Ex-Bulls star Metta Sandiford-Artest headlines 2024 Celebrity All-Star Game
Former Chicago Bulls star Metta Sandiford-Artest is going to Indy to participate in this year's All-Star. He headlines the star-studded 2024 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game this upcoming Friday, which will be held in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Metta is set to lead his Celebrity All-Star team
Joining the team of ESPN Analyst Stephen A. Smith, Sandiford-Artest stands as the lone former NBA player who will play in the competition.
The upcoming exhibition game features a variety of stars and celebrities across the fields of sports, music, media, entertainment, and others. Sandiford-Artest is set to suit up alongside EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, basketball entertainer Jack Ryan, NFL star CJ Stroud, Olympic High Jump Champion Gianmarco Tamberi, Grammy Award-nominated musician Adam Blackstone, Grammy Award-nominated recording artists AJ McLean, Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud, content creator Tristan Jass, and James Beard Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi.
Revisiting Metta as a Bull
Sandiford-Artests’s upcoming appearance in the All-Star Celebrity Game marks an Indiana homecoming for him, as he played for the Pacers in five seasons (2001 to 2006). But before he achieved stardom in Indianapolis as a defensive stalwart, he began his career in Chicago.
Metta, previously known as Ron Artest, started his professional career as a Bulla and the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. He played for the franchise in 2 ½ seasons and tallied averages of 12.5 points, 4.2 boards, 2.9 assists, 2.0 steals for 175 total regular season games.