Lance Stephenson recently assembled a starting lineup of NBA legends after being asked to name his top five players of all time, and three Los Angeles Lakers greats made the cut.
“Man, this is hard,” Stephenson told HoopsHype. “A lot of people get mad. My top five, I’m just going to do position-wise. … No, I’m not. So Kobe [Bryant], [Michael] Jordan, no order, LeBron [James], Tim Duncan, Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal). That’s my starting five right there. I know there gonna be a lot of argument of who gonna shoot the ball, but I think they’ll figure it out and actually beat everybody that everyone else picks.”
The starting five he came up with looks like a formidable group that could take on any five-man unit. While there might not be enough basketballs to go around, having players with such high basketball IQs would likely work wonders for such a lineup.
Stephenson entered the league in 2010 as a second-round pick of the Indiana Pacers. He eventually secured a spot in the team’s starting lineup in his third season. During the guard’s first stint with Indiana, the Pacers met the James-led Miami Heat in three consecutive playoffs.
Miami won each of the matchups, but not without Indiana battling hard. The 2013 Eastern Conference Finals series between the squads even went the full distance. Then, the following year, they met again in the conference finals, where Stephenson infamously blew in James’ ear in an attempt to try to stop “one of the greatest players to ever play basketball.”
Lance Stephenson reveals why he blew in LeBron James' ear: "Just playing hard, man. We were trying to win a Championship playing hard against one of the greatest players to ever play basketball, so you know I brung it all. I brought the New York out and trying my best to stop… https://t.co/3hGVIhdeQp pic.twitter.com/ZmqsaH77y4
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 28, 2023
Interestingly, the former rivals eventually became teammates, as the New York native signed with the Lakers in the 2018 offseason. As such, he was also able to don the colors that Bryant and O’Neal once wore.
Unfortunately, Stephenson’s stint with the Purple and Gold lasted just one season. He recorded 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 68 appearances for the Lakers.
After Los Angeles failed to reach the 2019 playoffs, it underwent some massive roster changes in the ensuing offseason. The front office gave up some of the team’s promising prospects to land Anthony Davis. The Lakers ultimately won the 2020 NBA title with the help of the big man.
Stephenson didn’t get to be a part of that magical title run, as he didn’t re-sign with the organization and ended up taking his talents to the Chinese Basketball Association. Today, he’s in the G League.
