"That was the easiest person to play with" - Lance Stephenson says playing with LeBron James was way more fun than going against him

“That was the easiest person to play with” – Lance Stephenson says playing with LeBron James was way more fun than going against him originally appeared on Basketball Network.

The NBA works in mysterious ways sometimes. One moment, the two guys can be going at each other’s throats and in the next one, those very same players could be wearing the same jersey. However, that is not just a hypothetical situation. That is exactly what happened between Lance Stephenson and LeBron James.

In July 2018, Stephenson joined the Los Angeles Lakers to play with his former rival. After years of being known as a pesky defender who constantly got under James’ skin, the 6’5″ guard revealed that playing alongside him was actually a lot of fun.

LeBron made the game easy

Stephenson’s career got off to a promising start with the Indiana Pacers. He steadily developed to become a solid two-way player who could aggressively defend perimeter weapons and create plays, either for himself or his teammates. However, as quickly as his star ascended, he soon fell back to earth, pulled down by his lack of consistency and several injuries.

Things got so bad for “Born Ready” that there was even a season when he got traded three times. However, his career received a new lease on life when he signed with the Purple and Gold.

“I ain’t going to lie, it was fun,” Lance said on “7PM in Brooklyn.”

Although Lance came off the bench and played 16 minutes an outing, he made the most of every chance and finished the season averaging 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Apart from finding ways to be productive, the versatile guard said playing with LeBron allowed him to play to his strengths and not be concerned with doing too much.

“He’s like a coach on the floor. It was — like, that was probably the easiest person to play with, ’cause you only had to just do your little role and just play hard,” he remarked.

Given Bron’s skill set and his ability to pull in defenders every time he moved towards the basket, Lance enjoyed his fair share of open looks and capitalized on them.

“So I feel like that’s — it’s the easiest thing you got. He take all the weight. You just go out there and play, hit your jump shots, stay in the corner, play defense,” he recalled.

Stephenson added that it didn’t hurt to play in California, a city renowned for Hollywood, fair weather and a laid-back atmosphere.

“I had fun that whole year, you know. I got a couple commercials and I got in a movie. Like, I ain’t gonna lie. I had fun. I was in LA. Had my whole family out there chilling, always warm,” Lance shared.

A moment he will always be known for

Although Lance didn’t achieve any individual accolades, he still enjoyed a 10-year career filled with highs and lows. However, whenever anyone mentions his name, the first memory that comes to mind is his infamous moment with LBJ during the 2014 NBA playoffs.

In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Stephenson was caught on camera blowing in James’ ear, trying to goad him into doing something silly.

In a separate interview, Lance admitted that his actions were simply attempts to disrupt LeBron’s focus and throw him off his game.

“Just playing hard, man. We were trying to win a championship playing hard against one of the greatest players to ever play basketball, so you know I bring it all,” he shared.

For the most part, Lance’s antics may have worked. LeBron finished that game with only seven points on 2-of-10 shooting as the Pacers prevailed 93-90. At the same time, some said it fueled his fire, as he had 25 points on a hyper-efficient 8-for-12 shooting as the Heat blew the Pacers out in Game 6, 117-92, to close the series out.

Stephenson’s and James’ relationship got off to a rocky start, but in a league with so many moving parts like the NBA, you have to be ready to bury the hatchet. He did and soon realized how great it is to be on the same side as one of the greatest of all time.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 23, 2025, where it first appeared.

“That was the easiest person to play with” – Lance Stephenson says playing with LeBron James was way more fun than going against him

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