It’s no coincidence that Lance Stephenson has chosen to wear uniform No. 1 for each of the past four NBA seasons, even though he’s been on four different teams – Indiana, Charlotte, the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis. On Friday’s Black and Blue Report, the six-year NBA veteran and newest Pelican said he wears the digit partly as a tribute to former All-NBA guards Oscar Robertson, Tracy McGrady and Penny Hardaway, who all sported it.
“You could put them anywhere on the floor and they could pass, shoot, dribble, beat someone one-on-one, post (up), rebound, play defense,” Stephenson told host Sean Kelley.
When he’s at his best, that description also fits Stephenson, who finished second in the NBA’s 2013-14 Most Improved Player vote (Phoenix’s Goran Dragic won it). During that season, the Brooklyn native led the league in triple-doubles, with five, showing off his multi-dimensional skill set of scoring, hard-nosed rebounding and fearless passing. He did likewise last season during a 26-game stint with Memphis, highlighted by a 24-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist game vs. Minnesota and a career-high 33-point eruption vs. New Orleans. In the playoffs, he dropped in 26 points vs. San Antonio in Game 4 of that series.
Beyond versatility, the Cincinnati product has also been known for some of his flashy plays and unique personality, leading to some of the Internet’s most popular NBA memes. He prides himself on being a player who can galvanize an audience and ignite his team’s fans.
“I’ve always been an energy guy,” Stephenson said on the Black and Blue Report. “I always get my teammates hyped, especially on the defensive end. My job when I come in is to have fun, play with my teammates and make sure they’re in the right positions, doing whatever it takes to win. All the teams I’ve been on, I’ve brought that energy and that hypeness and got the crowd into the game… I like to have fun. If it’s getting into somebody (defensively), or making a game-winner, or stopping a player, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.”
Though he’s partial to wearing No. 1, that New Orleans uniform is already taken by guard Tyreke Evans, so Stephenson plans to wear No. 5 as a Pelican instead. He sported No. 6 in his first two Indiana seasons, because Pacers veteran guard Dahntay Jones had dibs on No. 1.
“All the guys that wore No. 1, those are my favorite players,” Stephenson explained, referencing the trio of Robertson, McGrady and Hardaway. “I really looked up to those guys and tried to pattern my game after them, putting in my own little style.”