For the most part, centers in the NBA usually seem to shy away from headlines. Much like the linemen in the NFL, centers have an unsung importance on a team, and both groups generally tend to stay off SportsCenter due to their boring, but import style of play. However, one exception of this seemingly regular occurrence is a man named Lance Stephenson.
Stephenson first started making headlines last May, in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. In an effort to get inside the heads of Miami Heat Players, Stephenson's antics included invading the Miami Heat huddle, a violent flagrant foul on Norris Cole, and most notably, blowing into Lebron James' ear. Since then, Lance "Born Ready" Stephenson has continued to make headlines with his trade to the Hornets, his video bombing of Derek Fisher, and most recently his buzzer beating three in double overtime on November 7th to beat the Hawks.
His somewhat childish style of play has drawn all sorts of opinions around the basketball world. NBA Legend and owner of the Hornets, Michael Jordan is in favor of the way he plays, and thinks Stephenson can help the Hornets become a solid team in the Eastern Conference. In an interview with ESPN, Jordan stated, "One of the reasons why I admire his game is he takes on challenges. For us to get any place in the East, we need someone to challenge LeBron. He challenged LeBron."
Personally, I think the way Lance Stephenson plays is exciting, and though sometimes he can get out of hand, he is enjoyable to watch. It will be interesting to see how Lance Stephenson career will go from here, because he has proven that he can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?
Stephenson first started making headlines last May, in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. In an effort to get inside the heads of Miami Heat Players, Stephenson's antics included invading the Miami Heat huddle, a violent flagrant foul on Norris Cole, and most notably, blowing into Lebron James' ear. Since then, Lance "Born Ready" Stephenson has continued to make headlines with his trade to the Hornets, his video bombing of Derek Fisher, and most recently his buzzer beating three in double overtime on November 7th to beat the Hawks.
His somewhat childish style of play has drawn all sorts of opinions around the basketball world. NBA Legend and owner of the Hornets, Michael Jordan is in favor of the way he plays, and thinks Stephenson can help the Hornets become a solid team in the Eastern Conference. In an interview with ESPN, Jordan stated, "One of the reasons why I admire his game is he takes on challenges. For us to get any place in the East, we need someone to challenge LeBron. He challenged LeBron."
Personally, I think the way Lance Stephenson plays is exciting, and though sometimes he can get out of hand, he is enjoyable to watch. It will be interesting to see how Lance Stephenson career will go from here, because he has proven that he can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk?