“That guy is a tough guy to guard, so you got to bring your all, and that’s what I did” - Lance Stephenson talks about LeBron James and the infamous moment he was caught blowing in his ear
Guarding LeBron James has not been the most successful endeavor for most players, but Lance Stephenson did a great job when he had his opportunity. Golden State Warriors Andre Iguodala recently spoke on how it is impossible to stop King James but gave pointers on how players can slow him down.
Given how rare an occurrence it is, people seek to pick the brains of these players to get an insight into how they managed to successfully reduce LeBron James' production. In light of that, HoopsHype had a chat with Stephenson to discuss the infamous moment he was caught blowing in James' ear, among other things. The former Pacer was asked for a breakdown and his thought process leading up to the moment, and he had this to say:
"I didn’t have it prepared. It was all in the flow of the game. Being out there, competing. Everybody in the league is competitive, and wants that one thing; to win the game. Sometimes you do whatever it takes to win the game. That guy is a tough guy to guard, so you got to bring your all, and that’s what I did."
When asked if he expected it to go that viral, he said:
"I didn’t expect it to be shown. I didn’t think it was going to be captured. They caught that right in the act of it. That was crazy."
LeBron James' Miami Heat squared off against the Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014. On both occasions, they won the series and advanced to the NBA Finals. But it was not an easy task, as they were surprisingly held to a Game 7 in 2013.
Stephenson is attempting a comeback to the NBA and currently plays for the Denver Nuggets' G-League affiliate, Grand Rapids Gold. He left the league at the end of the 2018-19 season after playing a season being teammates with LeBron James for the first time in his career.
How did the LA Lakers perform with LeBron James and Lance Stephenson as teammates?
LeBron James finally decided to leave the Eastern Conference and ended up signing with the LA Lakers. As he was signed in the 2018 offseason, the Lakers also acquired the services of Stephenson.
Under Luke Walton, the Lakers finished the 2018-19 season ranked 10th in the West with a 37-45 record. LeBron James did not make the NBA Finals for the first time in nine years and entirely missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
🔥😳🏀 Lonzo Ball, Lance Stephenson & LeBron James all brought their hammers to work tonight 🔨🔨
#LakeShow https://t.co/5GDRhciYxW
Nonetheless, he led the team in points (27.4), rebounds (8.5), and assists (8.3). In the 2019 offseason, LeBron James started something he is also great at - recruiting. He brought in Anthony Davis, who played a key role in the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Finals under a new head coach Frank Vogel.