LeBron James Never Discussed Viral Moment With Former Lakers Teammate

LeBron James Never Discussed Viral Moment With Former Lakers Teammate originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and former teammate Lance Stephenson have one of the most notable relationships in modern-day basketball.

The pair faced off against one another in the postseason for three straight seasons from 2012-14, when James played for the Miami Heat and Stephenson was a member of the Indiana Pacers. Each series was as hard-fought and tough as you can imagine, despite Miami winning all three.

Furthermore, during Game 5 of the 2014 Eastern Conference finals, Stephenson decided to increase the pressure by blowing in James' ear as they stood next to each other after an intense game full of smack talk from both sides. The moment would go viral and be remembered as one of the more iconic playoff memories for both players.

However, James and Stephenson ultimately became teammates during the 2018-19 season with the Lakers, leading some fans to wonder if they ever discussed the iconic moment. But Stephenson shut down the speculation during an interview with CBS Sports reporter Ashley Nicole Moss.

“It was crazy because no one ever brought it up or talked about it,” Stephenson said. “We just stuck to winning games and getting to know each other.”

Despite never discussing the incident, Stephenson claimed he decided to blow in James' ear to throw him off his game. “You know LeBron is strong and athletic, so I was trying a lot of things to get him to not focus so we could win the game,” he admitted.

Stephenson’s antics ended up working in the Pacers' favor that night as they defeated Miami to send the series to Game 6. “But I was trying to frustrate him and do whatever it takes to win,” he continued.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.