Lance Stephenson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lance Stephenson

Stephenson with the Indiana Pacers in 2018
Free agent
Shooting guard / small forward
Personal information
Born	(1990-09-05) September 5, 1990 (age 34) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
High school	Abraham Lincoln (Brooklyn, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	Cincinnati (2009–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 2 / Pick: 40th overall
Selected by the Indiana Pacers
Pro career	2010–present
Career history
2010–2014	Indiana Pacers
2014–2015	Charlotte Hornets
2015–2016	Los Angeles Clippers
2016	Memphis Grizzlies
2016	New Orleans Pelicans
2017	Minnesota Timberwolves
2017–2018	Indiana Pacers
2018–2019	Los Angeles Lakers
2019–2020	Liaoning Flying Leopards
2021	Grand Rapids Gold
2021–2022	Atlanta Hawks
2022	Indiana Pacers
2023	Leones de Ponce
2023–2024	Iowa Wolves
Career highlights and awards
Terrific 12 champion (2019) Terrific 12 MVP (2019) Big East Rookie of the Year (2010) Big East All-Rookie Team (2010) McDonald's All-American (2009) First-team Parade All-American (2009) Second-team Parade All-American (2008) Mr. New York Basketball (2009)

Lance Stephenson Jr. (born September 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League. Lance went to Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. There, he was named Mr. New York Basketball in his senior year. He also played in the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game.

After high school, he played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Indiana Pacers picked him in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft. Lance is known for his clever and unique way of playing. He often makes amazing passes, drives quickly to the basket, and has funny ways of celebrating.

High School Basketball Journey

Lance Stephenson first got noticed by scouts when he was just 12 years old. A talent scout named Clark Francis saw him play at an AAU tournament. Before starting high school, he went to the Adidas ABCD Camp. There, he even challenged famous player O. J. Mayo to a one-on-one game.

In 2005, Stephenson joined Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School. However, he only stayed there for three days. Soon after, he started attending Abraham Lincoln High School. This school was close to his home in Coney Island. Many other NBA players, like Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, also played basketball at Lincoln High.

His coach, Dwayne Morton, said Lance always wanted to be better than past Lincoln stars. He called Lance "The best I've ever had at Lincoln." Lance led his team, the Railsplitters, to win the city championship that year.

Lincoln High won the city championship again in Lance's sophomore and junior years. Lance also won "Player of the Year" awards from the New York Daily News twice. As a sophomore, he was the youngest player in the movie Gunnin' for That No. 1 Spot. This movie followed eight promising high school basketball players. In 2007, he was the only non-senior named to USA Today's All-USA boys basketball team.

In July 2008, Lance tried out for the United States national team for players under 18. He was not chosen for the team.

On February 15, 2009, Lance broke a scoring record. He passed Sebastian Telfair's record of 2,785 points. This made him the all-time leading scorer for high school basketball in New York State. In March 2009, Lance led Lincoln High to win their fourth straight Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) class AA championship. This was a first for any school in the city. Lance scored 24 points and got 10 rebounds in the final game.

Lance's high school career ended in the New York State semifinal. His team lost to Rice High School. He finished his high school career with 2,946 points. In April 2009, Lance played in the McDonald's All-American Game. He scored 12 points, had six assists, and made three steals.

Choosing a College

In early 2009, Lance was considering Kansas, St. John's, and Maryland. He delayed his decision several times. His father later said Lance had narrowed his choice to Maryland and Arizona.

His visit to Maryland in February was looked at closely. He was given a tour of the Under Armour headquarters. This might have been against college recruiting rules.

Lance had planned to announce his college choice after the PSAL title game. But he kept delaying it. In April 2009, another top player, Xavier Henry, chose Kansas. This meant Kansas had no more scholarships available for Lance.

On May 20, Lance had still not signed with a college. His father said he would wait until a personal matter was resolved. On June 30, 2009, Lance signed an agreement with the University of Cincinnati. He joined the Bearcats for the 2009–10 season.

College Basketball Career

Stephenson with the Cincinnati Bearcats in 2010

There were some questions about Lance's eligibility to play. But on November 6, 2009, the NCAA said he could play. He played in Cincinnati's first game on November 15. In his only season at Cincinnati, Lance started 32 out of 34 games. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He scored his season high of 23 points against Georgetown.

Lance was the top scorer among new players in the Big East conference. He was named Big East Rookie of the Year. On April 7, 2010, Lance announced he would leave college early. He decided to enter the 2010 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Indiana Pacers (2010–2014)

Starting Out (2010–2013)

The Indiana Pacers picked Lance Stephenson as the 40th player in the 2010 NBA draft. He played his first NBA game on February 27, 2011. It was a close 110–108 loss to the Phoenix Suns. He scored two points and had two assists in four minutes. He had been with the team for a while but hadn't played much. In early April, he was temporarily removed from the team for breaking rules.

In the 2011–12 season, which was shorter due to a lockout, Lance played in many early games. He appeared in 32 of the first 35 games. However, he played less in the second half of the season. In the last game of the regular season, he started for the first time. He scored 22 points and played 35 minutes without making a mistake.

In the 2012–13 season, Lance had a great year. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. His performance improved in the playoffs. On April 14, 2013, he scored a season-high 22 points against the New York Knicks. In a playoff game against the Knicks, Lance scored a career-best 25 points.

Breakout Season (2013–2014)

Lance had an even better season in 2013–14. He achieved new personal bests in many areas. On November 11, 2013, he got his first career triple-double. He scored 13 points, had 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. This helped the Pacers beat the Memphis Grizzlies. He got his second triple-double eleven days later. He had 10 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. On December 22, 2013, he recorded his third triple-double.

On January 16, 2014, Lance scored a career-high 28 points against the Knicks. He ended the regular season with five triple-doubles, which was the most in the league. He also finished second in the voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award. The Pacers made it to the conference finals in the playoffs. They lost to the Miami Heat for the second year in a row. During the Eastern Conference finals, Lance became famous for his unusual actions. This included blowing in the ear of LeBron James during a game.

After the 2013–14 season, the Pacers offered him a large contract. But Lance decided to look for other offers.

Charlotte Hornets (2014–2015)

On July 18, 2014, Lance signed a three-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets. On November 7, 2014, he won a game for the Hornets in double overtime. He made a three-point shot at the last second to beat the Atlanta Hawks. He finished that game with 17 points and 13 rebounds. On January 14, 2015, Lance returned to play after being out for 14 games due to an injury.

Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2016)

On June 15, 2015, Lance was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 2, 2015, he scored 19 points in a game against his old team, the Indiana Pacers.

Memphis Grizzlies (2016)

On February 18, 2016, Lance was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. On March 11, 2016, he scored a career-high 33 points. This helped the Grizzlies win an overtime game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans Pelicans (2016)

On September 14, 2016, Lance signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. He got a groin injury on November 4. Because of this, the Pelicans decided to let him go on November 7.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2017)

On February 8, 2017, Lance signed a short-term contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. On February 14, 2017, he hurt his ankle in a game. After recovering, he signed another short-term contract on March 8. However, the Timberwolves did not sign him for the rest of the season.

Return to Indiana (2017–2018)

On March 30, 2017, Lance signed with the Indiana Pacers again. This was his second time playing for the team. On June 25, 2018, the Pacers decided not to keep him. So, he left the team for a second time.

Los Angeles Lakers (2018–2019)

On July 10, 2018, Lance signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. On October 24, 2018, he had 23 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a win against the Phoenix Suns. He missed some games in March because of a sprained toe. He was the last Lakers player to wear jersey number 6 before LeBron James.

Liaoning Flying Leopards (2019–2020)

On August 1, 2019, Lance signed with the Liaoning Flying Leopards. This team is in the Chinese Basketball Association. On September 22, 2019, he helped his team win a championship. They beat the Seoul SK Knights in the 2019 East Asia Super League Terrific 12 tournament. Lance was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

Grand Rapids Gold (2021)

Lance was chosen by the Grand Rapids Gold in the 2021 NBA G League draft. In 12 games, he averaged 19.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists.

Atlanta Hawks (2021–2022)

On December 22, 2021, Lance signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks.

Third Time with Indiana (2022)

After his contract with the Hawks ended, Lance signed a new 10-day contract with the Indiana Pacers on January 1, 2022. This was his third time playing for the Pacers. He signed this contract because of special rules related to health issues in the NBA. On January 8, he had 16 points, a career-high 14 assists, and four steals in a win against the Utah Jazz.

He signed more contracts with the Pacers in January. On February 4, he signed with the Pacers for the rest of the season. On February 13, 2022, Lance scored 21 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On March 24, 2022, he scored 25 points in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Leones de Ponce (2023)

On April 27, 2023, Lance signed with Leones de Ponce. This team plays in the Puerto Rican league. He played in 4 games before being released on May 6.

Iowa Wolves (2023–2024)

On December 14, 2023, Lance joined the Iowa Wolves. This team is part of the NBA G League.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

CBA

BSN

College

NBA G League

Regular season

Personal Life

Lance Stephenson is the son of Lance Sr. and Bernadette Stephenson. He has a younger brother named Lantz. Lance also appeared as himself in the 2020 movie Fatale.

See also

In Spanish: Lance Stephenson para niños