During his introductory news conference Friday in Charlotte, 23 year old Lance Stephenson said that he does not want to be remembered as the guy who blew on LeBron James ears. He said "I feel like it overshadowed my play on the court. I bring more to the table than just blowing in someone's ear. I'm a great player."
The incident happened on during the Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against Miami where he was seen as if he was blowing in to the ears of James. A lot of meme has come out with the picture circulating over the internet.
When asked what happened, he explained "During the series I was trying to play hard against LeBron and help my team win. I'm very competitive, and I know some of the antics were over the border -- but I was just trying to do whatever it takes to win."
Hornet's general manager Rich Cho feels for Stephenson and knew that the you players has got lots of talent that is why he decided to sign him in to his team. He said "I think he'll be a great fit."
Stephenson has signed a three year contract with the Hornets with a pay worth $27 million. The deal also includes a team option in the last year of the contract. Cho only has good words for Stephenson saying that he is competitive with great scoring ability. On top of that he can see Stephenson's defensive presence as well as numerous playoff experiences.
With the Hornets acquiring three pointers, Stephenson, the team would definitely go up the ranks on that field as they are currently ranked near the bottom. He has also led the NBA with five triple-doubles and posted career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (6.9) and assists (4.2).
Although Stephenson is a skilled shooter and competitive at that, he has also been called out 17 times for a technical foul last season. It was because of this that Hornets coach Steve Clifford made some background check for the player and even talked to his high school coach. Right after doing so, Clifford felt more confident in bringing Stephenson to the team.
He said "What's the old saying? 'Your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. I think those things are a byproduct of the fact that he badly wants to win. To be honest, that is one of the things we all liked about him so much."
Clifford has also said that Hornets owner, Michael Jordan has already talked to Stephenson about it. When asked by reporters about it, Stephenson said "He loves my game and what I bring to the table. He loves that I'm a great passer and I play with my teammates, and he loves the competitive edge that I have."
