Lance Stephenson Jr. (born September 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League.

He attended Lincoln High School in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn,[1] where he was named Mr. New York Basketball after his senior year and appeared in the 2009 McDonald's All-American Game.

He later played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers.

He is widely known for his wily and unique playstyle, which includes flashy passing, quick drives to the rim, and humorous celebrations.

Stephenson first caught the attention of scouts at age 12, when Clark Francis, a talent evaluator, saw him play at Rumble in the Bronx AAU tournament.

Before his first year of high school, he attended the Adidas ABCD Camp, where he challenged O. J. Mayo to a one-on-one game.

The following week, Stephenson did not return to classes at Bishop Loughlin, and was attending Abraham Lincoln High School near his home in Coney Island.

[4] In 2007 as a high school junior he was named to the annual USA Today's All-USA boys basketball team, the only non-senior to be given that honor.

[6] In March 2009, Stephenson led Lincoln High to an unprecedented fourth consecutive Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) class AA championship.

This may have constituted a recruiting violation, as Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is a Maryland graduate and on the university's board of trustees, and by NCAA rules, "representative of the institution's athletics interests" or a booster.

In April 2009, another top recruit Xavier Henry, who had been released from his commitment to Memphis after coach John Calipari left to take the Kentucky job, announced he would play for Kansas.

[10] On June 30, Andy Katz of ESPN.com reported that Stephenson signed a financial aid agreement with the University of Cincinnati, and he joined the Bearcats for the 2009–10 season.

[16] On April 7, 2010, Stephenson announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA draft.

In the regular-season finale on April 25, with the third seed clinched and Danny Granger and Leandro Barbosa given the night off to nurse injuries, Stephenson started for the first time and scored 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting, playing 35 minutes without a turnover.

He had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers fell short against the Chicago Bulls, losing 92–87.

[27][28] He had his second career triple-double eleven days later, recording 10 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds in a 97–82 win over the Boston Celtics.

His unusual tactics made headlines during the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat,[35] including blowing in the ear of LeBron James during a game five win.

[36] Following the 2013–14 season, the Pacers offered him a five-year, $44 million contract, but instead Stephenson opted to test the market, believing that he was worth more.

[40] On June 15, 2015, Stephenson was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes.

[42] On February 18, 2016, Stephenson was traded, along with a future first-round pick, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jeff Green.

[74] He faced a Class B misdemeanor sexual assault charge, and his parents ended the "Born Ready" reality show following the arrest.