Getty Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers fouls Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden on November 20, 2013 in New York City.
Lincoln High School product Lance Stephenson tormented Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks in the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
Now, the Coney Island native wants to help the Knicks.
The 32-year-old Lance Stephenson is angling for an NBA comeback via one of the New York teams — Knicks or Brooklyn Nets — after a brief stint with Leones de Ponce in Puerto Rico last spring.
“I think it is time for a New York team. I want to play for the [Brooklyn] Nets or the Knicks, either one would do,” Stephenson told the New York Post during the AND1 30th anniversary of NYC Open Run Tour on Sunday at Kingdome in Harlem.
“I feel like I did enough for people to remember me and know me as one of the top players that played in New York,” Stephenson added. “I feel like I am just New York.”
The 2009 Mr. New York Basketball failed to land an NBA roster spot last season following a third stint with the Indiana Pacers, the team which drafted him in the second round (40th overall) in 2010.
“I definitely miss the NBA now that I am playing in Puerto Rico. I did not want to leave. So my goal right now is to get back in there and show them that I am born ready,” Stephenson told the New York Post.
Best remembered for blowing in the ear of future Lakers teammate LeBron James during Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals between the Pacers and Heat, Stephenson is more known among the Knicks fanbase for tormenting them the year before that.
During his breakthrough 2012-13 season, while filling in for the injured Danny Granger, Stephenson dropped a then career-high 25 points in Game 6 to help the Pacers clinch the second-round series against the Knicks.
It is unclear if the Knicks are interested in the 6-foot-6 NBA veteran, given their surplus in wings after adding Donte DiVincenzo in the free agency.
Danny Green as a Knicks Vet?
Aside from Stephenson, another Knicks option to fill in the backend of their roster is three-time champion Danny Green, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
“He’d be an extra wing capable of guarding well and knocking down a 3. He’s a beloved teammate and would bring as much championship experience as anyone else would, considering he has been a starter on three different title teams and has played in 169 postseason games during his 13-year career,” Katz wrote.
Green remains unsigned after splitting his time with the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers last season following his return from a severe left knee injury.
The 36-year-old Green is one of the only four players in NBA history to win championships with three different teams (San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers).
Knicks ‘Praying’ for Joel Embiid Trade Request
Philadelphia 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey believes that Knicks President Leon Rose and company are “praying” for Joel Embiid to request a trade.
“Leon Rose used to be his agent. Joel already owns a house up in New York, he’s had it for a while. And the worst-kept secret is that the Knicks have been compiling and keeping ahold of their first-round draft picks hoping and praying that Joel Embiid asks out,” Pompey said on a July 22 appearance on Serious XM NBA Radio. “I can see that absolutely happening.”