Vancouver Bakery Owner Calls Out Former NBA Star Over Free Cake Request

A Vancouver bakery owner is speaking out after receiving an email from a representative of former NBA star Metta Sandiford-Artest and his wife, asking for a cake for their child's birthday party in a way that appeared to offer social media exposure instead of payment.

Fanny Lam, owner of Oh Sweet Day Bake Shop, shared a screen capture of the email on Instagram, where she wrote, "You cannot tell me that an NBA legend can’t afford a birthday cake for his kid, and asks a small bakery making approximately 0.0001 [per cent] of his fortune for a free cake."

The email, sent by a representative of Sandiford-Artest and his wife, Maya Sandiford-Artest (also known as Maya Ford), did not explicitly ask for a free cake. Instead, it mentioned a birthday party for the couple's child in Richmond and asked a few local vendors if they'd like to "feature as part of the day" and be tagged in posts about the celebration. The email stated that the family has a strong social media following and would be sharing the event across their platforms.

Lam told Vancouver Is Awesome that the request implies payment would be exposure, not cash, and noted that money or payment was not mentioned once in the email. She said the custom cake would have cost roughly $200 to $300.

"We’re certainly not against collaborations or giving back. We regularly try to contribute to our community when we feel the cause or partnership is a good fit. However, there is an important distinction between a genuine collaboration and simply asking a small business to give something away," Lam said in an email to Vancouver Is Awesome.

Oh Sweet Day Bake Shop opened at the intersection of Commercial Drive and East 1st Avenue in 2019 after Lam built a following at farmers' markets. In 2025, a second location opened in Port Moody.

Lam said her post was intended to spark a conversation about influencer culture and highlight an experience she said small businesses constantly face. The post prompted an outpouring of support, with commenters describing the request as "wild," "deeply inappropriate" and "atrocious."

Sandiford-Artest, previously known as Metta World Peace and Ron Artest, is a retired NBA All-Star and champion who was named defensive player of the year in 2004. He has launched multiple business ventures, including Artest Management Group, XvsX, and The Panda’s Friend. His wife, Maya Ford, is a UBC graduate.

After Lam shared the email, she said she received a message from Maya Ford asking for the post to be removed and explaining that it was sent by an assistant. Lam said there was no apology or acknowledgement of why the original request might have felt inappropriate to a small business.

Vancouver Is Awesome reached out to the Artest Management Group and Metta World Peace but did not hear back by publication time.