The Los Angeles Lakers are having an eventful offseason, successfully reshaping their roster after acquiring LeBron James. Interestingly, the Lakers also signed Lance Stephenson, who is a known rival of James, as the two basketball icons were involved in one of the most bizarre incidents in league history.
Stephenson is best remembered for blowing the ear of James during the 2014 playoff series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. The clip of the incident made waves online, including a huge number of funny memes from basketball fans.
James and Stephenson were still going at each other last season when the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs. But now that they are teammates in Los Angeles, Stephenson appears more comfortable talking about the ear-blowing incident.
Stephenson told The Score that he was just trying to get into James' head, hoping that it will affect his performance. James was a dominant force for the Heat that year, and they were just a win away from advancing to the NBA Finals.
"I was really trying to get him mad," Stephenson said. "Really trying to win the game, trying to get him unfocused. I would try anything."
The trick apparently worked for Stephenson, as James finished with just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting. In the first four games of the series, the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player averaged 26.3 points per game. The Pacers also won the game, 93-90, to force Game 6, where they eventually lost to the James-led Heat.
Now that he will team up with James in Los Angeles, Stephenson is looking forward to a new chapter of his career. He expressed excitement about playing with his former rival in a purple and gold uniform in the upcoming season.
"LeBron was such a good player, you know, I was trying to do anything to get him frustrated," Stephenson added. "It's going to be different, being friends with LeBron, you know what I mean?"
James, who signed a four-year deal worth $154 million with the Lakers, is also looking forward to playing with Stephenson. When asked about the signing of Stephenson along with JaVale McGee and Rajon Rondo, James insisted that he loved the decision of Lakers president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka.
"We just got guys who love to play basketball," James told Rachel Nichols of ESPN. "At the end of the day, guys that love to play ball and that's what they do every single day, I love that. And I think Pelinka and Magic loved it as well."
James, who has played in the last eight NBA Finals, will look to lead the resurgence of Los Angeles next season. The Lakers have not reached the playoffs since losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
