LANCE Stephenson has secured a place in NBA history for himself even though he hasn’t played much in the last four years.

Between his guitar celebration and blowing into LeBron James’ ear, the New York native is one of the most charismatic players to have entered the Association in the last couple of decades.

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Stephenson has barely played in the NBA since his one-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018-19Credit: Getty
Stephenson, 32, has been playing with a chip on his shoulder his whole career – which made him pocket nearly $37million in the NBA alone.

“I like the spotlight,” he said in 2009. “I used to be in the shadows.”

The Brooklyn-born prospect reportedly challenged rising star O.J. Mayo to a one-on-one game even before starting his high school career.

It was only fitting Stephenson started his NBA career with the Indiana Pacers, who selected the 6-foot-5 wing with the No. 40 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Those were the tough, gritty Pacers who became a defensive juggernaut under head coach Frank Vogel in the early 2010s.

With the likes of Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and George Hill on the roster, they made it as painful a path as possible for the LeBron-led Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA titles.

And Stephenson was among the biggest disruptors, using all he had at hand to distract James on the court.

The shooting guard made two Eastern Conference Finals appearances in four years with the Pacers, averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

But besides debuting his trademark air guitar celebration in his late 20s, the next eight years were marked by a decline for the ex-Cincinnati standout.

Stephenson has been in and out of the NBA since returning to Indianapolis and featuring in all 82 games for the Pacers during the 2017-18 NBA season.

He’s teamed up with James on the Lakers, moved to China, played in the G League, and reunited with Indiana for the third time.

Stephenson even managed to put up a 30-piece against the Brooklyn Nets in his last stint with the Pacers, which saw him make 40 NBA appearances in the 2021-22 campaign.

He then vowed to be back on the NBA hardwood the following season.

“My goal is to get my body better and better so I’ll definitely be in tip-top shape,” the guard said.

But he has only managed to play in four games for Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rican league since then.

However, it doesn’t look like Stephenson is done trying to return to the NBA again.

The guard is yet to formally announce his retirement from basketball and his Instagram account is filled with posts asking God for guidance.

Also, one of Stephenson’s recent posts includes a picture of the ex-NBA player that shows him looking away with his arms crossed – and in visibly good shape.

“I put in a lot of hours,” the caption read. “None of this was luck.”