Lance Stephenson facts for kids
Stephenson with the Indiana Pacers in 2018
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| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard / small forward | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 5, 1990 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 | |
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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. After his senior year, he was named Mr. New York Basketball. He also played in the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game. Later, 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. This includes fancy passing, quick moves to the basket, and fun celebrations.
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High School Basketball Star
Lance Stephenson first got noticed by scouts when he was just 12 years old. A talent scout named Clark Francis saw him play in an AAU tournament. Before starting high school, he went to a special basketball camp. There, he even challenged famous player O. J. Mayo to a one-on-one game.
In 2005, Lance started at 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 there. His coach, Dwayne Morton, said Lance was "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 championship again in Lance's sophomore and junior years. Lance was named Player of the Year by the New York Daily News two times in a row. 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 junior chosen for USA Today's All-USA boys basketball team.
On February 15, 2009, Lance broke a record. He passed Sebastian Telfair's score 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 championship. This was a first for any school in city history. He scored 24 points and got 10 rebounds in the final game.
Lance's high school career ended in the New York State semifinal. He finished his high school career with an amazing 2,946 points. In April 2009, he played in the McDonald's All-American Game. He scored 12 points, made six assists, and had three steals.
College Basketball Journey
In June 2009, Lance Stephenson decided to play for the University of Cincinnati. He joined the Bearcats for the 2009–10 season.
The NCAA allowed him to play in Cincinnati's first game on November 15, 2009. 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 highest points of the season, 23, against Georgetown. He was the top scorer among new players in the Big East conference. He was also named Big East Rookie of the Year. On April 7, 2010, Lance announced he would leave college early to join the 2010 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Indiana Pacers (2010–2014)
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. He scored two points and had two assists in that game. In his first season, he played in 12 regular-season games.
In the 2011–12 season, which was shorter due to a lockout, Lance played in many early games. 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.
Lance had a great year in the 2012–13 season. He averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, his scoring went up to 9.4 points and his rebounds to 7.6. On April 14, 2013, he scored a season-high 22 points against the New York Knicks. In a playoff game against the Knicks, he scored a career-best 25 points.
A Big Season (2013–2014)
Lance had another amazing season in 2013–14. He set new personal bests in many areas. On November 11, 2013, he achieved his first "triple-double." This means he had double-digit numbers in three different stats: 13 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. He had two more triple-doubles that season. On January 16, 2014, Lance scored a career-high 28 points. He ended the regular season with five triple-doubles, which was the most in the league. He also came in second 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 these games, Lance became famous for his unusual actions. This included blowing in the ear of LeBron James during one game. After this season, the Pacers offered him a big contract. But Lance decided to look for other options, thinking he was worth more.
Moving to Other Teams (2014–2017)
On July 18, 2014, Lance signed a three-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets. On November 7, 2014, he hit a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer in double overtime. This helped the Hornets beat the Atlanta Hawks.
On June 15, 2015, Lance was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. On December 2, 2015, he scored 19 points against his old team, the Indiana Pacers.
On February 18, 2016, Lance was traded again, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies. On March 11, 2016, he scored a career-high 33 points in an overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
On September 14, 2016, Lance signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. However, he got a groin injury in November and was released from the team.
On February 8, 2017, Lance signed a short 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He got an ankle sprain soon after. After recovering, he signed another 10-day contract in March. But the Timberwolves did not sign him for the rest of the season.
Back to Indiana (2017–2018)
On March 30, 2017, Lance Stephenson 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, and 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 was the last Lakers player to wear number #6 before LeBron James.
Playing in China (2019–2020)
On August 1, 2019, Lance signed with the Liaoning Flying Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association. On September 22, 2019, he helped his team win the 2019 East Asia Super League Terrific 12 championship. He was named the most valuable player of the tournament.
NBA G League and More NBA Stints (2021–2022)
Lance was picked 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.
On December 22, 2021, Lance signed a 10-day contract with the Atlanta Hawks.
After his contract with the Hawks ended, Lance signed another 10-day contract with the Indiana Pacers on January 1, 2022. This was his third time playing for the Pacers! On January 8, he had 16 points, a career-high 14 assists, and four steals in a win. He signed with the Pacers for the rest of the season on February 4.
Recent Teams (2023–2024)
On April 27, 2023, Lance signed with Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rican league. He played in 4 games before being released on May 6.
On December 14, 2023, Lance joined the Iowa Wolves in the NBA G League.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Indiana | 12 | 0 | 9.6 | .333 | .000 | .786 | 1.5 | 1.8 | .3 | .0 | 3.1 |
| 2011–12 | Indiana | 42 | 1 | 10.5 | .376 | .133 | .471 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .5 | .1 | 2.5 |
| 2012–13 | Indiana | 78 | 72 | 29.2 | .460 | .330 | .652 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 1.0 | .2 | 8.8 |
| 2013–14 | Indiana | 78 | 78 | 35.3 | .491 | .352 | .711 | 7.2 | 4.6 | .7 | .1 | 13.8 |
| 2014–15 | Charlotte | 61 | 25 | 25.8 | .376 | .171 | .627 | 4.5 | 3.9 | .6 | .1 | 8.2 |
| 2015–16 | L.A. Clippers | 43 | 10 | 15.8 | .494 | .404 | .700 | 2.5 | 1.4 | .6 | .1 | 4.7 |
| 2015–16 | Memphis | 26 | 3 | 26.6 | .474 | .355 | .815 | 4.4 | 2.8 | .7 | .2 | 14.2 |
| 2016–17 | New Orleans | 6 | 0 | 27.0 | .473 | .100 | .625 | 3.3 | 4.8 | .3 | .2 | 9.7 |
| 2016–17 | Minnesota | 6 | 0 | 11.2 | .476 | .000 | .500 | 1.7 | .8 | .0 | .0 | 3.5 |
| 2016–17 | Indiana | 6 | 0 | 22.0 | .409 | .625 | .667 | 4.0 | 4.2 | .5 | .3 | 7.2 |
| 2017–18 | Indiana | 82* | 7 | 22.6 | .427 | .289 | .661 | 5.2 | 2.9 | .6 | .2 | 9.2 |
| 2018–19 | L.A. Lakers | 68 | 3 | 16.5 | .426 | .371 | .685 | 3.2 | 2.1 | .6 | .1 | 7.2 |
| 2021–22 | Atlanta | 6 | 0 | 11.7 | .385 | .000 | .500 | 2.5 | 1.8 | .0 | .0 | 1.8 |
| 2021–22 | Indiana | 40 | 1 | 18.6 | .458 | .310 | .795 | 2.8 | 3.9 | .6 | .1 | 9.3 |
| Career | 554 | 200 | 22.9 | .445 | .314 | .694 | 4.1 | 2.9 | .6 | .1 | 8.6 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Indiana | 4 | 0 | 3.0 | .222 | .500 | .500 | .0 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | Indiana | 19 | 19 | 35.4 | .408 | .281 | .622 | 7.6 | 3.3 | 1.2 | .1 | 9.4 |
| 2014 | Indiana | 19 | 19 | 37.1 | .455 | .358 | .714 | 6.9 | 4.2 | .8 | .2 | 13.6 |
| 2016 | Memphis | 4 | 0 | 23.8 | .523 | .400 | .800 | 1.5 | 1.8 | .3 | .0 | 13.0 |
| 2017 | Indiana | 4 | 0 | 26.8 | .509 | .389 | .750 | 5.3 | 2.8 | .5 | .0 | 16.0 |
| 2018 | Indiana | 7 | 0 | 21.3 | .462 | .308 | .556 | 2.7 | 2.9 | .3 | .1 | 10.4 |
| Career | 57 | 38 | 30.5 | .448 | .330 | .670 | 5.6 | 3.2 | .8 | .1 | 11.1 | |
CBA
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Liaoning | 29 | 29 | 34.8 | .522 | .300 | .778 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .2 | 26.7 |
| Career | 29 | 29 | 34.8 | .522 | .300 | .778 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .2 | 26.7 | |
BSN
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Leones | 4 | 4 | 32.0 | .556 | .217 | .762 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 20.3 |
| Career | 4 | 4 | 32.0 | .556 | .217 | .762 | 5.3 | 2.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 20.3 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | Cincinnati | 34 | 32 | 28.2 | .440 | .219 | .664 | 5.4 | 2.5 | .9 | .2 | 12.3 |
NBA G League
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Grand Rapids | 12 | 12 | 35.0 | .471 | .306 | .686 | 8.3 | 4.1 | .8 | .3 | 19.8 |
| 2023-24 | Iowa | 3 | 0 | 24.3 | .441 | .000 | .750 | 8.7 | 4.3 | 1.0 | .0 | 11.3 |
| Career | 15 | 12 | 32.9 | .466 | .263 | .692 | 8.4 | 4.1 | .9 | .2 | 18.1 | |
About His Life
Lance Stephenson is the son of Lance Sr. and Bernadette Stephenson. He has a younger brother named Lantz. Lance also had a small role playing himself in the 2020 movie Fatale.
See also
In Spanish: Lance Stephenson para niños
