Lance Stephenson‘s life took a pivotal turn in one of the most crucial opportunities of his young career in the NBA. Drafted in 2010 after one year at the University of Cincinnati, Stephenson slowly made his way into the rotation, eventually cracking a sixth man role and later in the season a starting spot at the shooting guard position.

After having the best season in his four-year stint with the Indiana Pacers, averaging 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, the 6-foot-5 wing was offered a five-year, $44 million offer, which he turned down in favor of a three-year, $28 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets.

The then 23-year-old wanted to be his own superstar and have an opportunity to be a franchise player on a different team. Stephenson proceeded to have the worst year of his career with averages of 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting a hideous 37.6 percent from the field.

Pacers president Larry Bird reached out to the Brooklynite earlier this week, signing him to a three-year, $12 million deal with the team — a much lesser sum than his substantial offer in 2014.

While it's rare to have a story of a prodigal son for a player this early in his career, Stephenson hasn't been shy to admit the mistake he made by turning down a very worthy offer from the organization that drafted him.

“If Lance had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have left the Pacers,” Mark Bartelstein, one of Stephenson's two agents, told Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star. “You don’t often get a second chance and Lance knows that and is really appreciative and grateful for that.

“Larry and Kevin (Pritchard) are genuine guys and they believe in relationships,” Bartelstein said. “I think Larry, being a player in this league, knew what Lance was looking for at that time and I think there was always respect. When Larry believes in you, he’s always going to be a fan and he doesn’t hold grudges.”

Ironically enough, Stephenson will earn less money through six years than he would have if he took the original five-year deal with Indiana. But money aside, the road has been about the experience for the young wing — a trait which he will try to carry with him with a playoff-bound Pacers team this season.

“Born Ready” is very much a reclamation project in the eyes of many teams in the NBA, but Bird is banking on the 26-year-old to regain his comfort within the organization at a time when his dynamic all-around ability is needed the most.