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Lance Stephenson is not defending the on-court altercation that led to his BIG3 suspension.
The former NBA guard, now playing for Miami 305 in Ice Cube’s three-on-three league, told TMZ Sports that young players should not copy his recent behavior.
Asked about the punishment, Stephenson said the suspension was “definitely fair.”
Stephenson Told Young Players Not to Follow His Lead
TMZ caught up with Stephenson at LAX after the BIG3 incident, and his message was direct. He said young hoopers should not treat him as a model for what happened on the court.
“All the young players — don’t follow what I’ve just been doing,” Stephenson told TMZ Sports. “It’s all about having fun and enjoying the game.”
Stephenson said he has made a “couple of mistakes” and wants to move forward. He also told TMZ Sports that he is focused on winning a BIG3 championship with Miami 305.
The Altercation Led to an Ejection and Forfeit
The incident happened during Miami 305’s matchup against LA Riot. TMZ Sports reported that Stephenson was ejected after “throwing hands” during a chippy moment between the teams, and Miami 305 was forced to forfeit because it no longer had enough available players.
OutKick reported that Stephenson appeared to tackle LA Riot’s Devin Ebanks during a drive, briefly put him in a headlock and later swing at Jordan Crawford as players rushed in.
Miami 305 teammate Michael Beasley was also ejected after a separate altercation with Dwight Howard. The game was abandoned after the ejections left Miami without enough players to continue.
BIG3 Suspended Stephenson and Beasley
BIG3 commissioner Clyde Drexler announced one-game suspensions for both Stephenson and Beasley after the season-opening chaos. Yahoo Sports reported that both former NBA players were ejected from the first game of the new BIG3 season and would miss one game each.
The suspensions were staggered so Miami 305 could still meet roster requirements. The Source reported that Stephenson would miss Week 2, while Beasley was scheduled to serve his suspension during Week 3.
Ice Cube also apologized after the opener. “Apologies to everybody watching the Miami 305 vs. LA Riot on CBS yesterday,” he wrote, according to The Source. “We all wanted to see a great basketball game. That wasn’t it.”
Stephenson Accepted the Punishment
Stephenson told TMZ Sports the suspension was fair. The former Indiana Pacers guard has long been known for his physical play and trash talk, but his message after the BIG3 punishment was that younger players should not repeat what he did.
“Don’t follow what I’ve just been doing,” Stephenson said.
The BIG3 decision leaves Stephenson out for Week 2 and Beasley out for Week 3. Miami 305’s season continues after a forfeit, two ejections and a public apology from the league’s co-founder.
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