Only from New York.
Lance Stephenson spent much of the regular season proving himself as one of the NBA’s most versatile players, but the “Born Ready” Brooklyn product is using the postseason to cement his reputation as one of the league’s biggest irritants to opponents.
With the Pacers trailing the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Stephenson, more than ever, has displayed a pattern of behavior seemingly stolen from the likes of Dennis Rodman.
After a (failed) attempt to get inside LeBron James’ head by trash-talking before Game 4, Stephenson added new wrinkles to the routine in Wednesday’s Game 5 by flopping, entering Miami’s huddle and most notably, blowing in the ear of the four-time MVP.
James later joked, “I blew in my wife’s ear before, that was definitely a defensive tactic.”
Paul George added, “I hope [Stephenson’s] breath wasn’t too bad for ‘Bron.”
Prior to Game 4, Stephenson believed his antics were throwing James off his game, noting his willingness to engage in trash talk was a “sign of weakness.”
”He never used to say anything to me. I always used to be the one who said, `I’m going to do something to get you mad.’ Now he’s trying to do it to me,” Stephenson said. “So I feel like it’s a weakness. I feel like I’m doing something right because I’m getting under his skin, but I’ve definitely got to keep stepping up to the plate and be more aggressive when he does that.”
James, after scoring a postseason-career-worst seven points in Wednesday’s 93-90 loss, said he wasn’t concerned with Stephenson’s antics.
“All the extracurricular activities, I don’t really get into. I mean, I’m just trying to win,” James said. “All the extra [stuff], whatever Lance wants to deal with, I don’t really care about that. Lance is Lance. He’s going to do what he needs to do to help his team win. [Dwyane Wade and I], as two of the leaders of our team, we’re going to do what it takes to help our team win.”
Stephenson no longer seems interested in openly discussing his tactics, saying after the game he was “just playing ball.” He changed shoes at halftime to a pair he previously wore while recording a triple-double.
https://twitter.com/ScottAgness/status/471866429331894273/
The 23-year-old led the league with five triple-doubles this season while recording a career-high 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 49.1 percent shooting from the field. A second-round pick in 2010 after spending one year at Cincinnati, Stephenson will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, due for a big contract.
Chances are, his behavior won’t impact his impending payday, but it could limit the number of teams willing to lock the unpredictable player into a long-term deal.