LeBron James is the best basketball player in the world, but Lance Stephenson believes he's found another hole in the Heat star's game.
According to Stephenson, he has found the secret to getting under James' skin - trash-talking. Stephenson came to this conclusion Saturday during a back-and-forth with James.
The two exchanged words in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals when Stephenson drew a charge on James. Stephenson shared his thoughts about the incident on Sunday following a Pacers practice.
"To me, it's a sign of weakness," Stephenson said. "[People] used to say that to me. I'm going to do something to get you mad. Now he's trying to do it to me. I feel like there's a weakness and I feel like I'm doing something right to get underneath his skin." ESPN.com.
James dismissed Stephenson's observation, but during the game his aggression on defense was noticeably more intense. With James leading the charge, Miami erased a 15-point deficit and went on to defeat Indiana 99-87 for a 2-1 series lead.
"I'm not much of a talker but I can," James said. "I don't ever start it but I can get involved in it and still keep my head. Winning the game is more important. I understand what the main goal is."
This isn't the first time that Stephenson has attempted to poke holes in James' game. He directed a choke gesture at James, while on the Pacers bench, during the 2012 postseason.
James exchanged words with Stephenson, who saw very little action in that postseason, and the incident received sparce media attention. But James isn't about to let Stephenson take attention from what's happening place on the court this time around.
"One thing I'm not going to do is give a story line of LeBron versus Stephenson, I'm not going to do that. I've already been involved in a LeBron versus Stevenson in my playoff career so I'm not going to do it," James said.
He was referring to a former postseason rivalry with DeShawn Stevenson. The two had an ongoing feud when Stevenson played for the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards.
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