Indiana Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson was quickly aware of the impact of his actions after breaking the NBA's unwritten rule of not shooting the ball after the game is a virtual wrap.
Stephenson went in for an uncontested layup in the dying seconds of Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Raptors, drawing the ire of many of their players in his first game back as a Pacer.
The 6-foot-5 wing later recounted his experience going into the team hotel — place his team shared with the Raptors.
“I can’t go back to the hotel,” Stephenson told Clifton Brown of the Indianapolis Star. “I need bodyguards.”
The Pacers have gotten an influx of energy since Stephenson's arrival, going 3-1 since, as they hold onto the seventh playoff spot in the East for dear life with only two more games to go in the season.
The Brooklynite later reflected on his return to the team and what led to his path out and back from Indiana.
“When your teammates believe in you, and the organization believes in you, the game becomes easy,” said Stephenson, reflecting on his improbable journey after leaving the Pacers as a free agent in 2014. “I should have never left from the beginning. It was a hard road, an emotional ride, but I stuck with it. It humbled me a lot. It showed me that every team is not for you. I just stuck with it, never gave up, stayed in the gym and believed in God. God had my back. Now I’m back home.”
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