Lance Stephenson says Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson convinced him to leave the Indiana Pacers over the summer in free agency to sign with the Lakers.
Stephenson signed a one-year deal with the Lakers in July. He is making $4.5 million this season and will become an unrestricted free agent again in the offseason.
Lance Stephenson on determining factor to join the #Lakers: "I would say when Magic [Johnson] called. Magic explained to me what my role would be & that I could definitely help this team. I just went for it. I felt like w/ me being an addition on this team would be very helpful."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 28, 2018
Lance Stephenson has a long history of getting under the skin of LeBron James, dating back to when James was with the Miami Heat. Every time James and Stephenson faced off, the two always seemed to get into some type of minor tussle, with Stephenson always being the instigator.
That’s why many were surprised when the Lakers signed Stephenson shortly after James announced he was leaving Cleveland for Los Angeles. Stephenson’s agent called James’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, to make sure James was on board with Stephenson signing with the Lakers, according to Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.
In 20 games off the Lakers' bench this year, Lance Stephenson is averaging 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The 28-year-old is shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 37.9 percent from beyond the arc and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. Stephenson is playing roughly 16 minutes a night.
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