Tag: Lance Stephenson

Lance Stephenson: ‘Anthony Edwards reminds me of me with the super green light’

Lance Stephenson has enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA, and is currently tearing it up with the G League Iowa Wolves. During All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, he sat down with HoopsHype on behalf of Panini America to talk about his career, …

Lance Stephenson has enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA, and is currently tearing it up with the G League Iowa Wolves. During All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, he sat down with HoopsHype on behalf of Panini America to talk about his career, trash-talking, China memes, his experience overseas, and more.

Lance Stephenson on why he blew in LeBron James’ ear in 2014

Lance Stephenson gave a partial explanation for his meme-worthy act against LeBron James in the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.

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One of the more hilarious moments in recent NBA history came in Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers.

Down three games to one, the Pacers were trying to stave off elimination against LeBron James and company. They had taken the same team to seven games the year before, but it looked like they didn’t stand a chance this time.

At one point during the contest, Pacers forward Lance Stephenson, who was then considered one of the best defenders in the league, blew in James’ ear.

Many have wondered why he would perform such an underhanded act, and he explained why (sort of) to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson during And 1’s Open Run at Kingdome in Harlem, New York.

The Pacers ended up winning, 93-90, before bowing out in Game 6.

Five seasons later, Stephenson and James ended up being teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers, adding an interesting twist to the story.

Lance Stephenson: 2018-19 Lakers would’ve won NBA title if LeBron James didn’t get hurt

Veteran forward Lance Stephenson thinks the Lakers were primed for an NBA championship in the 2018-19 season until the injury bug hit.

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When LeBron James took his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers five years ago, fans were excited because it meant the team was relevant again after missing the playoffs the previous five seasons.

Becoming a championship team, on the other hand, was a taller order.

The Lakers were expected to be a solid team for the 2018-19 season with James and young prospects such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball. Unfortunately, all four suffered injuries and ailments that ultimately torpedoed the year and resulted in L.A. missing the playoffs.

Lance Stephenson, a veteran forward on that team, told Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson while at And 1’s Open Run at Kingdome in Harlem, New York that he thinks had it not been for injuries, it would’ve won the NBA championship.

Ultimately, management knew the roster wasn’t quite at the level Stephenson claims it was, and it pulled off a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis in the summer of 2019. Davis teamed up with James to immediately win the Lakers their 17th world title in their first season together.

 

Lance Stephenson wants to make NBA comeback with the Brooklyn Nets

According to Tashara Jones of the New York Post, Lance Stephenson wants to make his NBA comeback with the Brooklyn Nets.

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The Brooklyn Nets can turn their attention towards training camp in the fall now that most of their summer tasks have been taken care of from the draft to the summer league. In addition to training camp and next season, it looks like the Nets have one more factor to possibly look forward to.

According to Tashara Jones of the New York Post, former NBA player Lance Stephenson wants to come back to the NBA and he wants to do that with a New York-based team. Stephenson told Jones that he believes that it’s time for him to play for either the New York Knicks or the Nets given the fact that he was born and raised in Brooklyn.

Despite making a name for himself as a New York City basketball player, Stephenson has spent his post-high school basketball in places other than New York. He said that either the Knicks or the Nets will do since he feels like he represents the area no matter where he plays.

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All the players who could wear a No. 6 jersey in 2022-23 after the NBA’s plans to retire it to honor Bill Russell

The league recently announced plans to retire Russell’s No. 6 jersey across the league to honor the Celtics great, but some players are excepted.

The NBA and Boston Celtics plan to honor Hall of Fame big man Bill Russell for his unparalleled career in the league and his dedication to fighting for civil rights and social justice by retiring his No. 6 jersey league-wide.

The move — unprecedented in league history — honors the singular life Russell lived on and off the court. Russell was the NBA’s ultimate winner with a record 13 titles to his name as a player or player-coach. He also  achieved or was a part of many milestones, including being a part of the first all-Black starting five and the first Black head coach in league history. Through it all, he used his platform to fight for others in a time when that put his career at great risk.

The players in the league wearing No. 6 jerseys in 2021-22 will be allowed to continue to do so until they either switch to a new number or retire from the game. Let’s take a look at the players who could wear that jersey number next season.

Austin Rivers got ejected over a phantom elbow to Lance Stephenson’s face and NBA fans were baffled

Austin Rivers was ejected after officials said a phantom elbow from Lance Stephenson was ruled a “malicious act.” Fans were confused.

Remember back in the day when the NBA fined players for flopping? Yeah, feels like a long time ago, right?

That’s because it has been. The last player to be fined for a flop was Marcus Smart back in 2020. Before that it was Patrick Beverley back in 2019. And those are the only two flopping penalties we’ve seen dished out to players in 6 years. SIX. YEARS.

That should probably change very soon. Because, after what happened in the Nuggets’ game against the Pacers on Wednesday, Lance Stephenson should be getting another fine in the mail soon.

Austin Rivers was ejected for delivering an elbow to Stephenson’s face. Except…he didn’t actually hit Stephenson. He just flopped.

There was literally no contact between the two of them. Stephenson just jerked his head back a bit and it looked like he did. Yet still, somehow, Rivers was ejected from the game after a review. It doesn’t make a ton of sense.

I guess one could argue that maybe Rivers was faking throwing an elbow here to free up some space? Tony Brothers called it a “malicious act.”

Rivers, of course, was incredulous. He even tweeted about it after the game.

Honestly, it’s hard to blame him in this situation. It’s hard to see a malicious act being committed when there was no contact made. It gets especially hard when you consider Stephenson’s history of exaggerating contact — the Pacers still lead the league in flop fines because of him.

NBA fans were so confused by this call.

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Q&A: Lance Stephenson on getting back in the NBA, blowing in LeBron’s ear, comfort level with Pacers and more

Lance Stephenson discussed returning to the NBA, being in China when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Indiana Pacers, and blowing in LeBron James’ ear during the Eastern Conference Finals.

Lance Stephenson has been out of the NBA since the 2018-19 season after being teammates with LeBron James in Los Angeles. He spent the 2019-20 season in China with the Liaoning Flying Leopards and was in Shenyang when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Eventually, he returned to the States, worked on his game, and back in October, he was drafted 13th overall in the G League draft by the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver Nuggets affiliate).

In an interview with HoopsHype, Stephenson shares his goal to return to the NBA and fight for a championship, reminisces on the Indiana days battling the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, blowing in LeBron James’ ear and more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Q&A: Lance Stephenson on getting back in the NBA, blowing in LeBron’s ear, comfort level with Pacers and more

Lance Stephenson has been out of the NBA since the 2018-19 season after being teammates with LeBron James in Los Angeles. He spent the 2019-20 season in China with the Liaoning Flying Leopards and was in Shenyang when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Eventually, he returned to the States, worked on his game, and back in October, he was drafted 13th overall in the G League draft by the Grand Rapids Gold (Denver Nuggets affiliate).

In an interview with HoopsHype, Stephenson shares his goal to return to the NBA and fight for a championship, reminisces on the Indiana days battling the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, blowing in LeBron James’ ear and more.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Sixers to be among teams in attendance for Lance Stephenson workout

The Philadelphia 76ers will attend the workout of former NBA veteran Lance Stephenson out in Las Vegas.

The Philadelphia 76ers are seeking more win-now players to fill out the roster ahead of the 2021-22 season and the title chase they intend to make.

While they have some solid, younger players, the Sixers could use some more veteran players who can win now at the moment. That is why they are going to be among one of the teams who will attend a workout for a former Eastern Conference finalist.

Lance Stephenson, who has not played in the NBA since the 2018-19 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, is looking to get back in the league. He was a key member of the Indiana Pacers when they made the Eastern Conference finals in both 2013 and 2014. So, he may be able to help Philadelphia off the bench.

The Milwaukee Bucks, the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets will also be in attendance of his workout.

The Sixers could bring Stephenson on a veteran’s minimum deal and be able to add a nice bench piece. When he is right, the 30-year old can do a lot of good things out on the floor such as bring tough defense and knock down some open looks from deep.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Notable NBA veterans who are eligible for 2021 G League Draft

When the upcoming NBA G League season tips off next months, fans can expect to see more familiar faces than they would in a typical year.

When the upcoming NBA G League season tips off next months, fans can expect to see more familiar faces than they would in a typical year.

The NBA G League is hosting a bubble tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex in Florida. Once teams are assembled, they will arrive to the location by January 26 for physicals and onboarding. The first game is set for February 8 and teams are expected to play a “12-to-15 game schedule” before their single-elimination playoffs from March 5-March 9.

This offseason, per ESPN, the league also eliminated restrictions for signing players with at least five years of NBA experience. For example, as reported by Adam Johnson, this is how Jeremy Lin was able to sign outright with the Santa Cruz Warriors rather than enter the draft pool. This is reportedly a one-time exception for the G League.

Similarly, others with NBA experience signed outright as veteran mentors for the inaugural G League Ignite squad. Players like Amir Johnson and Bobby Brown will lend a hand for top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green as they transition to the pros.

Otherwise, however, players not already on a roster who are looking to get back on the court and play in the upcoming bubble season will have to hear their names called on Monday. Over the last few days, we have learned about several players (e.g. Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson) who recently signed NBA G League Standard Player Contracts.

Even those who have been around the league for years have no guarantee of being selected, though. There are only 17 teams playing in the bubble, as 12 have opted out.

While the draft will have a maximum of 26 players selected, teams are allowed to forfeit their picks, so that number could end up even smaller. But that has not swayed the nearly 200 players who are hopeful about suiting up in Florida.

The 2021 G League Draft is scheduled for Monday, January 11, at 1:15 PM EST. Below are some of the most notable candidates, listed in order of how many minutes they have played in the NBA: