Hours after LeBron James' decision to join the Lakers was made public on Sunday afternoon, the ripple effect has already been felt around the league.
Lance Stephenson has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers after declining a $4.3 million team option with the Indiana Pacers. Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania was the first to break the news on Twitter.
Veteran center JaVale McGee has also reportedly reached an agreement to join James in Los Angeles.
The Stephenson signing is especially interesting, considering the long-standing rivalry between him and James. When most fans think of the two players, the first image that comes to mind is the moment Lance blew in LeBron's ear during the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals.
The rivalry between the two has been growing for years, as Stephenson has taken it upon himself to get under James' skin at any opportunity. The feud began back in 2012 when Stephenson was caught on camera giving James a choking sign after a missed free throw. The next day, James was asked for a comment about the situation, and he said, "Lance Stephenson? You want a quote about Lance Stephenson? I’m not even going to give him the time. Knock it off."
Since then, Stephenson has routinely done anything he can think of to annoy James on the court.
Stephenson was once quoted as saying James has never responded to his trash talk, except for one time when he simply asked, "What is wrong with you?"
Their battle in the first round of the 2018 playoffs even made Complex's list of the 10 pettiest moments of the NBA season. Finally, James will no longer have to deal with Stephenson's antics—except in practice.
The Lakers and James also get a solid role player in Stephenson. Last season, the 27-year-old guard averaged 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.6 steals in 22.6 minutes per game for the Pacers. He was drafted by the Pacers with the 40th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after playing one season in college for the University of Cincinnati.
